Responsibility is the meaning of life
If you’re a high functioning, conscientious person, you are always facing this question - what is the meaning of life? While I’m not here to produce a long post on Judiasm and the role that G-d has played in my life, I want to touch on some of the secular beliefs and psychology around meaning of life. When I came across this highly trafficked youtube video of Canadian professor Jordan Peterson, I had to stop and listen.
Professor Peterson goes on to explain the meaning of life is in responsibility. While many women have an innate sense of responsibility through hardwiring of motherhood, men often struggle to find the boulder worth shouldering. He proclaims that as a psychology teacher he finds it interesting that 80% of psychology students are women and that 90% of his video audience is men - why? He believes that so many men are looking for the meaning of their own lives where as most women are sufficiently satisfied with where they are in this world - much of that comes from biological maternal attributes of childbearing and nursing. Men on the other hand are on a journey to find what ‘fills them up.’ This is consistent with what I’ve learned in my religious pursuits and anecdotally I can attest to the never ending hunt for my own purpose. What Prof. Peterson explains is that many men are on a journey to find a worthwhile set of responsibilities. He acknowledges that vapid responsibility often leads to a treacherous end and can push someone to the brink of defeat, however, purposeful responsibility is what gives life meaning. That is why children often reframe an individuals thinking and breathes new life into a person as children are a seen as worthwhile responsibility to most people. This is also why those that claim to work on something they LOVE are often fulfilled with their life. This all feels quite obvious when I write it out but the way its explained psychologically is poignant. I have a number of purposeful responsibilities in my life but I’m always in pursuit of more.
Anyway, I highly recommend you give this 11 minute video a watch, I found it quite helpful in explaining the pursuit of meaning.