The Meaning Of Life

A question for you; What is the meaning of life? When you ask this question suddenly, you are naturally caught off guard, and the answers usually come after waiting for a while. It is a question that is generally not thought about much. However, one of the biggest problems of our age is the issue of meaning. How do we know? Think about it; Have you ever observed situations in your surroundings or yourself, such as not being able to enjoy whatever you do, not being satisfied, feeling boredom for no reason, constantly looking for a different occupation, and not being happy? I think your answer to that is yes. In fact, this situation stems from an existential gap.
Human beings have actually been in search of meaning since their existence. We all search for something that will make our lives meaningful. When we cannot find this, it means we have fallen into the pit of meaninglessness. This can also be called existential emptiness. A person who struggles with feelings of meaninglessness begins to become more involved with anger, anxiety, and restlessness. Mental health problems slowly begin to catch up with him. Sometimes situations such as substance use, gambling, and resorting to sexuality in an unhealthy and extravagant manner are also observed. This is why, as Jung wrote above; This is what he means by saying, "Neurosis is the suffering of the soul that has not found its meaning." Of course, we all have some sources of meaning in our lives, even if we cannot see them sometimes. We must ask ourselves these questions; What do I get strength from as I continue my life? What am I doing these efforts for? What gives meaning to my life? Generally, answers to these questions include family, children, loved ones, religious beliefs, future plans and dreams, etc. These are all our sources of meaning, of course. You may say that we already know these, but reminding ourselves of these from time to time, reconsidering the values ​​that make our lives meaningful, and the energy this brings will help us hold on to life more tightly and contribute to our happiness. Of course, there is not always happiness in life. Sometimes people also experience pain. But even in pain there can be meaning. Because everything that life brings is for humans. When a person creates meaning even in his worst moments, he can come out of it much stronger. Victor Frankl “If there is truly meaning in life, there must be meaning in pain. Pain is as indelible a part of life as fate and death. Without pain and death, human life is not complete.” This is exactly what he meant with his words. Victor Frankl, who experienced great suffering in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II but still managed to produce meaning, talked about this in his book "Man's Search for Meaning". (Recommended Reading )
Before finishing my article, I would like to talk about the movie. Some of you have watched the movie Saving Private Ryan. In the movie, a woman sends her sons to the military and three of her four sons die in the war. She takes action to save the woman's only surviving son. Orders are given to return the woman's son to his mother safely. At that time, a military unit takes action to save this soldier from inside enemy lines. Most of the soldiers on duty during this struggle die. The commander of the last unit is injured, but despite this, he reaches Private Ryan and saves him. As he takes his last breath, he says to him: "We sacrificed a lot to save you, live a life worth it." Yes, this is my message to you with this article. Life is beautiful and yet challenging. I hope that one day, when you look back, all your experiences were worth it and you lived a meaningful life