adventures in meaning-making
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defining the meaning crisis
I’ve been talking about the meaning crisis a lot. But most people that I talk to have never heard of it. That puts me in the position of having to define it in clear, simple terms. I need an elevator pitch for the meaning crisis — a definition that will suffice for a casual conversation.…
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toward a more meaningful society
Has cognitive science given us an operational definition of meaning? Cognitive science has yet to provide a single, universally accepted operational definition of meaning, but it offers several approaches to understanding it. One prominent view in cognitive science, influenced by embodied cognition and enactivism, suggests that meaning arises from the agent’s interaction with the environment.…
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a brief history of the meaning of life
Note: This is a conversation with ChatGPT 4o. Give me a brief history of the meaning of life. The question of the meaning of life has evolved across history. In ancient times, many cultures, including the Greeks, saw life’s purpose as tied to virtue, harmony with the cosmos, and pleasing the gods. For monotheistic religions…
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playfulness as a sacred force
Playfulness, in a word, is all about having fun. To unpack it a little further, playfulness is a mindset characterized by spontaneity, curiosity, lightheartedness, and a willingness to explore without fear of mistakes or attachment to outcomes. It involves engaging with the world and others with a sense of wonder, humor, and openness, allowing creativity…
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playfulness, sincerity, and meaning-making
Modernism, with its certainty, idealism, and structure, was turned on its head by postmodern skepticism and deconstruction. The postmodernists vowed not to rest until every system and grand narrative was burned to the ground. But the flames are dying out, giving way to the constructive playfulness of post-postmodernism. Where postmodernism was destructive, post-postmodernism gives us…
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new website just dropped
I decided to switch back to WordPress. Over the years, I have repeatedly vacillated between WordPress and a fully customized website. The last time I made this switch was about six years ago, in 2018, when I was searching for my first real job as a software engineer. At that time, it made more sense…