Absolute meaning does not exist. Do not pursue any ultimate meaning because we do not know how long humanity can survive. Therefore, we only discuss relative meaning here.
The Meaning of Life from the Perspective of Endings and Processes#
Since everyone will eventually die, from the perspective of endings, life has no meaning for oneself. However, we cannot stop living just because we will eventually die. From the perspective of the process, life can still have some meaning. For example, I can consider experiencing life and feeling the world as the meaning of my life.
The Meaning of Life from the Perspective of Relationships#
A person's life has meaning not only for oneself but also for others and even future generations.
There can be countless meanings for oneself, as many as the ears of wheat in a field or the wildflowers on a prairie. Because life is limited, a person cannot try each one to find the most meaningful life for themselves. Moreover, due to the differences between individuals, it is impossible to find a meaning that is universally applicable to everyone.
The meaning of a person's life to oneself is determined and assigned by the person themselves. Different people may have different meanings for their lives.
A person is a social being, and the existence of each person has a certain meaning for others. Firstly, your existence has a certain meaning for your family and friends because if you suddenly die, they will be affected in some way. Secondly, your existence has a certain meaning for strangers who have no personal relationship with you.
In modern society, the value or wealth created by each of us, whether material or spiritual, can flow and be allocated globally. If a part of the material wealth you create is used to aid Africa, then your life has a certain meaning for the people of Africa. If it is transferred overseas by corrupt officials to support mistresses and illegitimate children, then your life has a certain meaning for them. If this wealth is used for the Hope Project, then your life has a certain meaning for impoverished children in mountainous areas. If the spiritual wealth you create, such as a blog post, soothes the soul of a stranger on the other side of the internet, then your life has a certain meaning for that stranger. If your book review provides reference value to people buying books, then your life has a certain meaning for them. If you answer a question in a professional field and solve someone's doubts, then your life has a certain meaning for those people.
In a Stephen Chow movie, it is said, "Even a pair of underwear or a sheet of toilet paper has its uses." This means that they have a certain meaning for us and can be used by us. So you see, if underwear and toilet paper can have meaning, then what about a living person?
As mentioned earlier, from the perspective of endings, life has no meaning for oneself, but it can still have a certain meaning for others. Even after a person dies, they can still have a certain meaning for the living. For example, Mr. Lu Xun, his works are still relevant today. Another example is a certain librarian, whose thoughts still have an impact on society. Can you say that they have no meaning for us, the living? When alive, a person's life has a certain meaning for oneself and others, and even after death, it may have a certain meaning for future generations. However, only a few people can achieve this.
The weight and order of the meaning of a person's life to oneself, others, and future generations vary from person to person. Generally, the meaning to oneself is the foundation, and the meaning to others and future generations are additional derivatives. The meaning to oneself is subjective and mainly determined by one's choices, while the meaning to others and future generations is objective and mainly determined by the value one creates.