Some stories collided in my mind and produced a thought. I have written two short stories in the past that cover life and meaning. In one of them a character realizes that being a professional student isn’t enough to build a life on, and searches for meaning to her life.  In the other the main character discovers she’s living in a simulation built for other peoples’ entertainment.

Lots of people say they want their life to have a purpose.  In the second story, the character’s life really does have a purpose.  Which I think proves that everyone who says they want their life to have purpose, or meaning, is lying.  A purpose is either someone else’s purpose, which you have been assigned – which turns out to be very unpleasant! – or it’s your own purpose, which you have constructed.  Most of the people who say they want to have a purpose, don’t really want the first kind and would be very upset if they found out they had one; and they reject the second kind – that’s why they’re talking about wanting a purpose in the first place!  Otherwise they’d simply make one up.

You know who never worries about what their life’s purpose or meaning is? Kids. Because they’re busy having fun. We start worrying about our purpose when we get older and life starts sucking and being boring and we look for quick, easy, mental tricks to play on ourselves to not mind it so much.  Looking for a purpose makes it sound like you’re doing something exciting. But actually finding you had one would be horrible.

If you’re looking for a meaning to your life, it’s just a sign that you aren’t having fun anymore.  Stop looking for meaning, and have some fun.