I enjoyed this conversation between Arthur Brooks and Tim Ferriss.
A key takeaway was Brooks’ insight that there are 3 “macronutrients” to meaning:
1.) Coherence
2.) Purpose
3.) Significance
Coherence is about having a philosophy of life.
It’s the story you hold about how the world works, why life makes sense generally, and why your life makes sense specifically.
At any given moment, your nervous system is being bombarded by millions of bits of sensory information—photons of light, vibrations, and chemical signals, most of which are outside of conscious awareness.
Your philosophy is what enables you to organise this unfathomable complexity into a story that makes sense. Without one, everything would appear as random and meaningless chaos.
Some people turn to science for this.
Others turn to religion.
And yet others still form their own unique lens using an eclectic mix from a wide range of sources.
The more coherent your story of life is, the more meaning you will experience.
The second is purpose.
Although we often think purpose and meaning are the same thing, Brooks argues that the former is a “subcomponent” of the latter.
Purpose is having a clear answer to the question of why you are doing what you are doing.
It’s also about having a meaningful future to build towards and a pathway to making it a reality.
The third is significance.
For our lives to feel meaningful, we need to feel like we matter to other people.
In essence, this is about being deeply involved in inter-dependent relationships and having people in your life who would miss you if you didn’t show up.
So if you’re struggling to find meaning in life, it can be worth looking through these three lenses.
Some questions to reflect on:
1.) Do you have a coherent story that helps you to make sense of the world and your place within it? If not, what might help you to develop this?
2.) Do you have a clear and meaningful future you’re building towards and a roadmap for making it a reality? If not, is there anything you can do to find more clarity in this area?
3.) Do you have deep and quality relationships with the people that matter most? If not, what can you strengthen these connections?
