Finding a Meaning for Your Life

We wonder, search, and think about what our lives amount to. Take any meaning of life you’ve read about, and many thinkers will offer alternatives.

Consider this one:

What if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness, and say to you, ‘This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence’ … Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: ‘You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine. 1.   

The idea of an “eternal return” or “eternal recurrence” belongs to the German philosopher Friederich Nietzsche. However, similar thoughts can be found among Stoic philosophers and in the Hindu and Buddhist religions.

Regarding the meaning of life, however, the famous man may be suggesting something additional.

From an ethical point of view, he raises the issue of whether how you lead your life today grows out of your values. Are you guided by persuasive moral and/or religious standards you would follow if given a second chance?

Nietzsche puts it this way:

The question which thou wilt have to answer before every deed that thou doest: ‘is this such a deed as I am prepared to perform an incalculable number of times?’ ^2.

Beyond decisions about right and wrong, the meaning of life can also take another form: Is your existence so fulfilling you would jump to have another life in the pattern of the current one? What is lacking if your answer is no?

Nietzsche offers this thought:

My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati (to love your fate): that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely to bear what is necessary, still less conceal it … but love it. 3.

Whether one or more repetitions or returns to life occur, a related question is worth thinking about: at what point should you determine if your time on earth has been fulfilling, moral, and well-lived?

To find the answer, we turn to the tale of Solon and Croesus. The former was an important statesman and philosopher, and the latter was considered the wealthiest man alive and conqueror of the known world.

When the wise man visited him, King Croesus made sure his servants took him on a tour of the glories of his palace and the treasures he possessed.

The rich man was disappointed to find his guest unimpressed. “Have you ever encountered a more fortunate, happier man?”

The philosopher proceeded to name four.

Of Tellus the Athenian, he said:

Tellus was neither rich nor poor, and all of his children were good and noble; he lived to see them give birth to their children and died an old and respected man while volunteering to fight for his country. 4.

Croesus asked for the identity of a second man whose life was more excellent than his own:

It has to be Aglaus. The man was so happy living on his farm that he never even felt the need to leave it. And that’s where he died, admired by his friends and surrounded by his loving family. 4.

The king persisted in questioning, and Solon told him of two brothers:

Cleobis and Biton, mighty king. They were healthy and beloved youngsters who always had enough to live on. One day, after the oxen of their mother Cydippe went missing, they yoked themselves to the cart and drove their mother for five miles until reaching the Temple of Hera, where she, a priestess, was headed to honor the goddess at a religious festival. Overjoyed and proud, The parent of the young men asked Hera to bestow the best gift upon her children. She did: her boys lay down in the house of prayer and died peacefully in their sleep just moments after. They are still fondly remembered for their strength and devotion.” 4.

Croesus appeared flabbergasted not to be thought of as the most impressive man in existence. The sage gave him an explanation:

You seem to be rich beyond comprehension, and I’m sure that, at this moment, no man can fulfill more of his fantasies than you can in the whole wide world. However, I’ve seen people just as rich as you die more disgraceful deaths than the commonest and poorest of all men. Because, Croesus, man is entirely chance, and nobody knows what the gods may bring tomorrow. You should count no man happy until he dies. 4.

Yours truly is no sage and cannot offer you the final word on the meaning of life. Most people ask this of themselves in any case. You might take a moment to determine what constitutes the significance and fulfillment you search for.

And if you are curious to learn more about Croesus, the glory of his life after the encounter with Solon didn’t last.

Was Solon, therefore, right when he said you should not evaluate the joy in a lifetime before an individual dies?” Perhaps you believe Nietzsche is correct in telling you to embrace and love your fate no matter what it is.

It’s up to you to discover the meaning of your life.

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The three photos above are the superb artistry of Laura Hedien, with her kind permission: Laura Hedien Official Website.

The top image is Peek A Boo Slot Canyon, Utah, 2024. Next is Provo, Utah, Coming In March 2024. Finally, a Railroad Signal Light in the Fog, Lake County IL 2023.

1. http://Schacht, Richard (2001). Nietzsche’s Postmoralism: Essays on Nietzsche’s Prelude to Philosophy’s Future. Cambridge University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-521-64085-5.

2. Ludovici, Anthony M., ed. (1911). “The Eternal Recurrence”. Friedrich Nietzsche: The Twilight of the Idols. §28 – via Project Gutenberg.

3. “Ecce Homo”. Basic Writings of Nietzsche. Translated by Kaufmann, Walter. p. 714.

4. https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Solon_and_Croesus/solon_and_croesus.html