Cushman 1

Thomas Cushman
Prof. Gammage
English 220
7 April 2014
Source of Meaning
Nihilism is a thought process that has plagued yet enlightened humanity since the
days of Nietzche. In its simplest form, Nihilism is the idea that life is meaningless.
Nihilistic thought processes can burden the mind with pessimism or it can introduce new
perspectives that can enlighten the mind. It all comes down to what one does with the
idea that life is meaningless. There are two prominent ways to approach this problem:
Life is meaningless so why even try, or life is meaningless so what can I do to change
that? It is more popular and optimistic to choose the later option because life is happier
with meaning. The average human being can find meaning in life through nature,
community, and the self. However, arguments can be made to refute this claim if one
were to take a nihilistic approach when discussing these topics.
The world and all its majesty gives meaning to peoples life because it forces
people to realize that they are part of a bigger picture. Finding meaning in life is as easy
as taking a hike and being cognizant enough to appreciate how beautiful the world is. The
vast intricacies that are found in nature are awe-inspiring. Ralph Waldo Emerson shared
this idea and stated it best in his Essay VI Nature. These enchantments are medicinal,
they sober and heal us. These are plain pleasures, kindly and native to us. Emerson
believed nature was a healing entity that can cure human stress and calamity. This feeling
of healing is not hard to find in nature with an open mind. Going out into nature with
Cushman 2
open eyes and truly detaching yourself from society is cleansing. A feeling of detachment
from the worlds seemingly trivial problems is found when one is experiencing nature.
All over the world nature expresses its intense beauty. Whether you are in a glen in the
Scottish highlands or simply walking through your local park meaning can be found.
Examining the local park example a bit closer, it is baffling to think about how much life
is thriving in even an acre of common grass. It is absolutely astounding to think about
how many individual blades of grass there are and even more amazing to think about how
many organisms potentially inhabit said acre. The number is possibly too high to count
which evokes a feeling of wonder and meaning in most peoples lives.
The argument could be made that people with sensory deprivation cannot find
meaning through nature. However, with a bit of rational thought about the afterlife one
can discredit this argument easily. Transcendentalism is the idea that once your body is
dead it decomposes and becomes one with the earth and benefits it. In other words human
corpses have a symbiotic relationship with the earth because our dead fleshy bodies are
absorbed into the earth as nutrients. Transcendentalism basically forces everyone to be an
organ donor. Humans donate their organs to the earth eventually through the
decomposition of their bodies. Therefore, it does not matter if you are deaf or blind you
can find meaning in life through benefitting nature with your body.
Community is another source of meaning in peoples lives. One can find meaning
in the day-to-day interactions with their fellow man. For example, friends and family give
life meaning to plenty of people including me. The expectations that my friends and
family hold for me is what motivates me to get out of bed in the morning. I wake up and
go to school mainly because I do not want to disappoint my family and friends. This is a
Cushman 3
result of the mutual love and respect that we share for each other. People also gain a
sense of meaning through larger communities such as church groups or teams. Dreyfus
and Kelly touched on this idea in chapter seven of their book All Things Shining.
Whether it is in a church or a baseball stadium, the awesomeness of the moment is
reinforced when it is felt and shared by others. When it is also shared- that is shared-
when you all recognize together that you are sharing in the celebration of this great thing
then the awesomeness of that moment bursts out and shines (193). Dreyfus and Kelly
touch on a moment that most people have experienced in life and is undeniably a good
feeling. Happiness in large communities is infectious. This is because people long for
communal interaction and it feels good when that interaction surfaces. That feeling of
being part of something is amazing and within itself makes life worth living.
Riots are an example of how communal gathering can be negative and tarnish the
idea that community gives life meaning. However, in riots it is safe to say that people still
find meaning to live. People who get swelled up in a mob mentality can still find that
meaningful. There is a very negative connotation with the word riot that is not fair to
apply in this argument. For example, everyone agrees that the Nazi party was entirely
wrong and evil in what they were trying to accomplish yet almost all of Germany was in
support of the Nazi parties ideals. The German population was not in the wrong for
supporting their government, they were simply showing pride in their country and that
within itself is a good thing. Those people rallied behind a cause they thought was just
and they gave meaning to their lives in doing so. All in all, community is a powerful
agent that gives peoples life meaning.

Cushman 4
The self is another entity that gives peoples life meaning. Achieving internal
happiness gives life meaning. Personally, athletics give me a chance to achieve internal
satisfaction and meaning in life. When I accomplish something that is impressive
athletically I swell up with emotion and confidence and it is intrinsically good. The
beauty of finding meaning through the self is that there are infinite of ways to do so.
Anytime someone is proud and satisfied with something they have accomplished they
have found meaning through the self. This could range anywhere from overcoming
addiction to writing a book. Humans have a need to be happy and satisfying those needs
is often achieved through self-action. Another prime example is when Hindus try to reach
Nirvana. Nirvana is the highest state that someone can attain, a state of enlightenment,
meaning a person's individual desires and suffering go away. This state of being is only
reached internally through self-reflection or meditation. Gaining a sense of meaning
through the self can be enlightening and people strive for it relentlessly.
Arguments have surfaced that finding meaning in life through the self is useless
because eventually you die and it does not matter. However, this argument does not
consider how people find meaning through self-achievement. Plenty of people play sports
or work diligently in school for the rewarding feeling of accomplishing a goal. They
attempt to accomplice athletic or scholastic feats and it feels good when they finally
achieve their goal. So much so that it gives life meaning. Similarly, when people practice
music. They learn a certain instrument and it is enjoyable for them to progress and
accomplish musical goals. It gives peoples lives meaning.
Overall, the answer to the question what gives life meaning? for the average
person has several unique answers. For some people it is simply going outside and
Cushman 5
enjoying nature in its majesty. For others meaning to life is found through being part of a
community, such as a church or sports team. Lastly, some people find meaning through
self-achievement. Whether that be scholastically, athletically, or musically people find
meaning through improving their brains and bodies.