what is the meaning of life?
• ...to love and find love?
• ...to find the meaning of life?
• ...to learn, invent, reproduce and to overcome the obstacles that are created in life?
• ...to live every day like it is your last and to do your best at everything that comes before you?
• ...to be always satisfied?
• ...to live, go to school, work, and die?

Those seem more like goals than meaning.

Is meaning always necessary? Is "42" as good an answer as any other?

There may be a game of semantics to be had here somewhere but the focus on meaning that some seem to find so essential seems like a construct that is not necessary.

I think we mostly live better with a sense of meaning and purpose but am not convinced that those have to be ultimate answer type meanings and purposes. Those who think they have the ultimate answer tend to have a habit of trampling all over others choices in meaning and purpose.

R0bert

Robert,

I always thought 13 had more meaning than 42. You can do a lot in your life with 13, but 42 is a bit limiting. However some philosophers think 13 and a half is even better.

I've always been a little confused by the meaning of life debate - not the meaning of life itself, that's easy - I'm confused as to why so many people grapple with it.

The meaning of life is to be happy and/or to find contentment.

Now achieving happiness is harder to quantify - hedonism doesn't seem to get you there, love can, but not love alone, and part of that happiness is intertwined with making others happy and taking on personal responsibility.
Happiness is a much more difficult thing to quantify.

The only reason why people can't see this, is they're looking for some magic bullet to validate their existence.
Once you get beyond that need for validation you're fine.
Just achieve something with your life instead of worrying about it.

Peppy - have you no shame. Comparing the mighty 42 with a measly 13 1/2, sad.

TurnRightThenLeft good point about validation. I consider the happiness thing a goal rather than a meaning though. It's also been my observation that those most focussed on finding happiness are often the furtherest from it. Those who work towards other goals appear to be more likely to find happiness.

R0bert

I'd have to agree with you guys. I don't know what the big deal is about having to come up with some Earth Shattering Mission Statement on why we're here. You're here. Accept it and do the best you can with the limited time you have and leave the place a little better than you found it. If you want to be happy treat the world and the people in it as you would like to be treated. Isn't that the basic message of all the great religions teach?