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. John Vervaeke, for example, describes meaning as the process by which individuals make sense of the world and their place in it through relevance realization—how we selectively attend to certain information based on our goals and context. This perspective emphasizes meaning as dynamic, contextual, and deeply tied to the agent-arena relationship rather than a static or abstract concept.

Tell me about the three N’s: nomological, normative, narrative.

The “three N’s”—nomological, normative, and narrative—are three key ways in which meaning is understood and structured within cognitive science and philosophy, especially in the work of John Vervaeke.

1. Nomological Meaning: This refers to the sense of meaning we derive from understanding the world through laws and principles, often linked to scientific or logical frameworks. “Nomological” comes from the Greek word for “law” (nomos). In this context, meaning arises from the coherence we perceive in the lawful, regular patterns of the universe, such as physical laws or cause-and-effect relationships.
2. Normative Meaning: Normative meaning is tied to values, ethics, and standards of behavior. It relates to the sense of meaning that comes from understanding what is right or wrong, good or bad, and how we should act. This is meaning generated by aligning our actions with societal or personal norms, values, and expectations. It often involves questions of morality and duty.
3. Narrative Meaning: Narrative meaning emerges from the stories we tell about our lives and the world. It is the meaning we create through the unfolding of events, experiences, and personal history, connecting past, present, and future in a coherent structure. Narratives give us a framework to understand ourselves and our experiences in a broader, contextually rich way.

Together, these three N’s help capture the full range of how humans make sense of their lives, environments, and experiences—through understanding patterns (nomological), adhering to values (normative), and telling meaningful stories (narrative).

Tell me about coherence, significance, and purpose, in the context of Samantha Heintzelman’s work.

Samantha Heintzelman’s work on meaning in life focuses on three core components that contribute to an individual’s sense of meaning: coherence, significance, and purpose. These three elements help explain how people construct and experience meaning in their lives.

1. Coherence: Coherence refers to the idea that life makes sense, that there is a reliable and comprehensible order to the world. When life events align with an individual’s understanding of how things should work, they experience a sense of coherence. It is about perceiving patterns and consistency in one’s experiences. Without coherence, life can feel chaotic or disorienting.
2. Significance: Significance is about the felt importance or value of one’s life. It reflects whether individuals believe their lives matter or have weight beyond trivial concerns. A sense of significance often comes from feeling valued, achieving important goals, or being part of something larger than oneself. It addresses the existential question of whether one’s life matters on a personal or broader level.
3. Purpose: Purpose involves having direction or goals, a sense that life is moving toward something meaningful. This component of meaning provides a forward-looking orientation, where individuals feel their actions are contributing to a broader objective or mission. Purpose helps guide decisions and actions, giving individuals a reason to pursue particular paths or endeavors.

In Heintzelman’s work, these three components—coherence, significance, and purpose—are seen as essential pillars of meaning in life. People tend to experience a greater sense of meaning when their lives are coherent, significant, and purpose-driven.

Do coherence, significance, and purpose map neatly onto nomological, normative, and narrative?

Coherence, significance, and purpose do align well with the concepts of nomological, normative, and narrative meaning, though they don’t map perfectly in a strict one-to-one correspondence. Here’s how they can be related:

1. Coherence ↔ Nomological: Coherence, the sense that life makes logical sense and follows understandable patterns, aligns with nomological meaning. Nomological meaning refers to the understanding of the world through laws and principles, and when life events follow these predictable patterns, we experience a sense of coherence. Both focus on finding order and comprehensibility in the world.
2. Significance ↔ Normative: Significance relates to feeling that one’s life has value or importance, which maps onto normative meaning. Normative meaning is concerned with values, ethics, and standards—whether life feels meaningful because it aligns with personal or societal values. Both involve a sense of moral or existential worth, where life feels important and valuable within a framework of norms and values.
3. Purpose ↔ Narrative: Purpose, the sense of having direction or goals, closely relates to narrative meaning. Narrative meaning is derived from the stories we tell about our lives and how we perceive our journey over time. Purpose provides that forward-looking direction in life, which fits within the broader story or narrative we construct about who we are and where we are going.

While these mappings aren’t exact, they show a strong conceptual resonance between the components of meaning in life and the different forms of meaning-making outlined in cognitive science and philosophy.

Do you think that coherence, significance, and purpose are sufficient for meaning? Is it possible for someone to have all three of those things and yet feel that their life lacks meaning? If so, what are the missing pieces of the puzzle?

While coherence, significance, and purpose are often seen as essential components for a meaningful life, I don’t think they are necessarily sufficient for everyone. A person could have all three—life makes sense (coherence), they feel valued or important (significance), and they have a sense of direction (purpose)—and still feel that something is missing or that life lacks deeper meaning. There are several potential “missing pieces” that could explain this:

1. Connection: Meaning might also require a sense of connection—to others, to a community, or to something larger than oneself. A person can have coherence, significance, and purpose in a self-contained way, but without authentic relationships or a connection to the world around them, life might still feel hollow or isolated. This ties into existentialist ideas about the importance of “being-with” others (Heidegger) or belonging to a social fabric.
2. Transcendence: For some, meaning involves going beyond the self. This could be a spiritual or mystical dimension where meaning isn’t just about individual purpose but about transcending personal concerns and connecting to something infinite, sacred, or larger than the material world. Without this, life might feel overly self-centered or mundane, even with coherence, significance, and purpose.
3. Authenticity: Even with coherence, significance, and purpose, if someone feels like they are living inauthentically—following external pressures or values that don’t resonate deeply—they may still experience a meaning deficit. Authenticity requires living in alignment with one’s true self, values, and desires, and lacking this could lead to a sense of meaninglessness.
4. Resonance: As you’ve mentioned before, the concept of resonance may be a key missing piece. Life might feel meaningful when it deeply resonates with you—when you feel attuned to experiences in a way that goes beyond intellectual understanding (coherence), external validation (significance), or even goal-directed behavior (purpose). Resonance could be the emotional, embodied connection to the world that allows meaning to “feel right.”
5. Freedom and Play: Some people find meaning in freedom, spontaneity, and play, not just in structured coherence, significance, or purpose. A life that feels too rigidly purposeful or coherent might lack the creative, playful engagement that brings vitality and joy.

So, while coherence, significance, and purpose are critical components, meaning might also depend on connection, transcendence, authenticity, resonance, and freedom—pieces of the puzzle that could fill in the gaps for someone who feels like life is still lacking meaning despite having the “three N’s.”

Are authenticity and resonance basically the same thing here?

Authenticity and resonance are related but distinct in this context:

• Authenticity refers to living in alignment with your true self—acting, thinking, and feeling in ways that reflect your core values, desires, and beliefs. It’s about being genuine and true to who you are, avoiding external pressures or societal expectations that might cause you to live inauthentically. Authenticity is more about the congruence between your actions and your inner self.
• Resonance, on the other hand, is about feeling a deep, emotional, or even spiritual connection to something outside of yourself. It’s when something strikes a chord within you, evoking a sense of alignment or harmony with experiences, relationships, or the world at large. Resonance goes beyond self-alignment and speaks to how deeply experiences or actions “vibrate” with you at a core level, creating a sense of vitality or profound connection.

In short, authenticity is about being true to yourself, while resonance is about feeling deeply connected to the world or experiences around you. You can live authentically but not feel resonance if, for example, you’re true to yourself but not experiencing a strong connection with the world or others. Conversely, something can resonate deeply with you even if it’s not entirely in line with your usual self-conception or values.

Both authenticity and resonance might be essential for meaning, but they operate on different levels—one internal and self-focused, the other more external and relational.

You said that, according to a prominent view in cognitive science, meaning arises from the agent’s interaction with the environment. Let’s do a concrete example. Imagine someone named Sisyphus, in his mid thirties, living in the year 2024. He grew up in the South but moved to New York City for his career. He is in the midst of a full blown meaning crisis. Walk us through all of the components of meaning we’ve identified (coherence, significance, purpose, connection, transcendence, authenticity, resonance, freedom). For each, give us a progression — explain, through the lens of his interaction with the environment, why his life currently lacks meaning, and what actions he could take in this area to bring more meaning into his life.

Let’s walk through Sisyphus’s life, looking at how each component of meaning can break down and be restored based on his interaction with his environment.

Coherence

Why Sisyphus lacks coherence: Growing up in the South and moving to New York for his career, Sisyphus feels disconnected from his past and his upbringing. His childhood worldview doesn’t align with his current urban, fast-paced life. Everything seems chaotic—his career doesn’t seem to follow the expected trajectory, and he can’t make sense of how things are supposed to work.

How he can restore coherence: Sisyphus could begin by reflecting on his life story and identifying patterns that connect his past with his present. By understanding how his experiences shaped him and finding common threads between his Southern upbringing and New York lifestyle, he can create a more integrated personal narrative. He might also engage in practices that help him understand his environment better, like meditation or journaling, to bring a sense of order and predictability to his life.

Significance

Why Sisyphus lacks significance: Despite having a good job in New York, Sisyphus feels like a cog in a machine—his work doesn’t feel important to him, and he doubts whether it truly makes a difference in the world. He’s lost his sense of value and wonders if anything he does really matters.

How he can restore significance: Sisyphus could find ways to reconnect with activities or causes that give him a sense of value. He might volunteer for a cause he cares about, pursue work that aligns more closely with his personal values, or even reassess his career trajectory to find a job where he feels his contributions matter. This would help him rebuild a sense of significance by aligning his actions with things that have personal and/or societal importance.

Purpose

Why Sisyphus lacks purpose: His life in New York feels aimless. While he may have once had career goals, now he just goes through the motions without a clear sense of direction. Without something to strive toward, he feels lost.

How he can restore purpose: Sisyphus needs to establish long-term goals that excite him. This could mean reevaluating his career, setting personal milestones (like learning a new skill or preparing for a major life change), or pursuing a passion project that gives him a sense of direction. Purpose can also come from setting smaller, incremental goals that align with his deeper aspirations, allowing him to wake up each day with a clear “why.”

Connection

Why Sisyphus lacks connection: In New York, Sisyphus feels isolated. The fast-paced environment doesn’t leave much room for deep relationships, and he’s drifted apart from his Southern roots and family. He doesn’t feel a part of any meaningful community.

How he can restore connection: To cultivate connection, Sisyphus could seek out communities that resonate with his values and interests—whether through hobbies, cultural organizations, or even neighborhood groups. He might also work on reconnecting with his family or old friends, mending strained relationships, or building new friendships. Engaging in activities that bring him closer to others can restore that crucial sense of belonging.

Transcendence

Why Sisyphus lacks transcendence: Sisyphus feels entirely wrapped up in his own problems and day-to-day concerns. There’s no sense of awe, wonder, or connection to something larger than himself—be it nature, art, or spirituality.

How he can restore transcendence: Sisyphus could seek experiences that take him beyond his personal concerns. This might involve reconnecting with nature through hiking or traveling, practicing meditation or mindfulness to experience moments of transcendence, or engaging with art, music, or a spiritual tradition that brings him a sense of awe. Finding ways to look beyond the self, to experience the beauty or vastness of life, could restore this missing piece.

Authenticity

Why Sisyphus lacks authenticity: In his career and social life, Sisyphus feels like he’s wearing a mask, conforming to the expectations of New York culture. He’s not living in a way that feels true to who he is, and this disconnect from his authentic self leaves him feeling hollow.

How he can restore authenticity: To live more authentically, Sisyphus needs to start aligning his actions with his core values and desires. This might mean making career changes, speaking his mind more freely, or pursuing interests he’s neglected. Being honest with himself and others about who he is will allow him to shed the performative aspects of his life and live more genuinely.

Resonance

Why Sisyphus lacks resonance: Sisyphus finds that nothing in his current environment really “strikes a chord” with him. His work, relationships, and activities feel flat, lacking any deep emotional or spiritual connection. Life feels dissonant and uninspiring.

How he can restore resonance: Sisyphus could focus on seeking out experiences that deeply resonate with him—whether through creative expression, meaningful conversations, or activities that bring joy and vitality. He might need to experiment with new environments, people, or practices until he finds something that clicks, creating that deeper connection and vibrancy. Listening to his intuition about what feels “right” is key.

Freedom

Why Sisyphus lacks freedom: Sisyphus feels trapped by societal expectations and the pressures of his career. He doesn’t feel free to explore his interests or make meaningful changes in his life because he’s too wrapped up in maintaining a status quo that doesn’t fulfill him.

How he can restore freedom: To regain a sense of freedom, Sisyphus needs to start making choices that reflect his autonomy and desires rather than external pressures. This could involve taking risks—such as changing careers, moving to a different environment, or simply breaking free from rigid routines. He might also embrace more spontaneity and playfulness, giving himself permission to experiment with life rather than feeling constrained by societal expectations.

Conclusion

Sisyphus’s meaning crisis stems from disconnections in various areas of his life—his career, relationships, and personal sense of purpose. Each component we’ve identified (coherence, significance, purpose, connection, transcendence, authenticity, resonance, freedom) is interrelated with his interaction with his environment. By taking specific actions to realign these components, Sisyphus could rebuild a more meaningful life, one where he feels deeply connected, purposeful, and free.

It almost feels that society is structured to make it as difficult as possible for us to live meaningful lives.

It can certainly feel that way, especially in modern society, which often emphasizes productivity, consumption, and external success over personal fulfillment, connection, and deeper meaning. Many of the systems and structures in place—whether it’s the fast pace of urban life, the focus on career and material wealth, or the constant bombardment of information—seem to pull people away from the components of a meaningful life.

For example:

• Coherence is harder to find in a world that feels fragmented and chaotic, where constant change and information overload make it difficult to form a consistent, meaningful narrative.
• Significance is undermined by a culture that often values superficial measures of success—wealth, fame, and appearance—over deeper, intrinsic value.
• Purpose can feel elusive in a system where many people are working in jobs they don’t find fulfilling, simply to survive or fit into societal expectations.
• Connection suffers in a society where people are increasingly isolated, with weakened community bonds and a culture that prizes individualism over collective well-being.
• Transcendence is marginalized in a materialistic world that focuses on immediate, tangible results and dismisses spiritual or transcendent experiences as impractical.
• Authenticity is compromised by societal pressure to conform to certain images, roles, and lifestyles.
• Resonance can be dulled by the noise and distractions of modern life, making it harder to connect deeply with experiences or others.
• Freedom is often limited by financial, social, and psychological constraints, where people feel trapped in systems that dictate how they should live.

It seems like many modern societal structures are misaligned with what people need to live meaningful lives. There’s a tension between the systems designed for efficiency, profit, and control, and the human need for connection, purpose, and self-expression.

The challenge, then, is finding ways to navigate these societal pressures, or even push back against them, to carve out space for the things that make life meaningful. It often requires conscious effort, experimentation, and sometimes a willingness to go against the grain of societal expectations.

Perhaps I’m crazy or overly ambitious, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s possible for us to structure society differently, so that living a meaningful life is not a Herculean task. What if society served as a bed of fertile soil in which the flowers of meaning could be cultivated readily? But this feels hopeless. I doubt the power of individuals to significantly shape the development of society. It seems that larger forces are at play — globalization, corporate capitalism, technological advancement, etc.

You’re not crazy or overly ambitious for wondering if society could be structured differently to foster meaningful lives—it’s a profound and important question. Many thinkers, from philosophers to social reformers, have asked similar questions throughout history. It’s true that larger forces like globalization, corporate capitalism, and technological advancements shape society in ways that can feel beyond individual control, making the task of creating systemic change seem daunting, if not impossible.

However, there are a few ways to look at this:

1. Collective Action: While it’s difficult for any one individual to shift the course of society, movements, communities, and collective efforts can shape societal development. Historically, changes like the labor movement, civil rights movements, or environmental movements have started with small groups of people pushing against the status quo, eventually leading to large-scale societal transformations. Change may not happen overnight, but incremental shifts are possible through collective action.
2. Local Communities and Experiments: Change can start on smaller, more manageable scales—through local communities, social experiments, or new models of living. Communities that prioritize meaning-making, well-being, and connection already exist, such as eco-villages, intentional communities, and alternative educational models. These pockets of change can serve as models for broader societal shifts. In a way, they act as “fertile soil” for meaningful living, where people have more agency to structure life in alignment with deeper values.
3. Technological and Cultural Change: While technology and globalization can sometimes feel like obstacles, they also offer opportunities. Technology has the potential to connect people, democratize information, and give individuals more power to collaborate across the globe. While corporate capitalism often drives technology in exploitative directions, there are growing movements for ethical tech, cooperative business models, and decentralized systems that could help restructure society in more meaning-supporting ways.
4. Resilience and Adaptation: Even within existing societal structures, individuals and communities can develop resilience by creating meaningful lives within the cracks. While it may feel hopeless to reshape society at large, smaller-scale actions—like cultivating playfulness, meaning, and connection in your personal life or community—can have ripple effects. You can cultivate “fertile soil” for meaning within the systems we have, adapting creatively to societal forces without being entirely beholden to them.

It’s understandable to feel doubtful about the power of individuals to change large societal forces, but change often comes from the ground up, starting with small, intentional actions. It’s the tension between acknowledging those larger forces and choosing to act where you can that might ultimately lead to more meaningful lives for individuals and potentially broader societal change.

Go through each of the components of meaning and tell me how we can improve society in relation to it.

Improving society to better support each component of meaning—coherence, significance, purpose, connection, transcendence, authenticity, resonance, and freedom—requires intentional changes in cultural norms, policies, and systems. Here’s how we can address each component to cultivate a more meaning-friendly society:

Coherence

• Current societal issue: In modern society, fragmentation and chaos are common due to rapid changes, excessive information, and disconnection between different aspects of life (e.g., work, personal values, societal expectations).
• Improvement: Society can foster coherence by promoting integrative education and interdisciplinary thinking, where people can see connections between different fields and aspects of life. Policies that encourage work-life balance and emphasize mental health can help individuals maintain coherence between personal and professional life. Media and educational systems could also emphasize storytelling and historical context to help individuals make sense of the present within larger patterns.

Significance

• Current societal issue: Society often equates significance with material success or social status, leading to feelings of insignificance for those who don’t meet those standards.
• Improvement: We can shift societal values away from a narrow focus on wealth and external achievements, instead celebrating contributions to community, creativity, and well-being. Creating public recognition for roles that foster societal good (e.g., caregivers, teachers, community leaders) and supporting policies that value all forms of work (not just high-earning professions) can help people feel valued in their contributions.

Purpose

• Current societal issue: Many people feel purposeless due to unfulfilling jobs or societal pressures that emphasize productivity over passion.
• Improvement: Society can provide more support for individuals to discover and pursue their personal purposes. This might involve restructuring education to help students explore their interests more deeply, offering more flexible career paths, or encouraging lifelong learning. Policies that support meaningful work opportunities (such as through social enterprises or creative industries) could also help individuals align their careers with their passions.

Connection

• Current societal issue: Urbanization, digitalization, and individualism have led to increasing isolation and weakened community bonds.
• Improvement: Strengthening community structures is essential. This can be done by investing in public spaces, creating policies that support local community initiatives, and fostering environments where people can form meaningful relationships. Urban planning can prioritize communal spaces, and governments can promote policies that support social cohesion, like neighborhood events, shared housing models, or worker cooperatives. Encouraging shared projects, like community gardens or local arts initiatives, can also help rebuild connection.

Transcendence

• Current societal issue: In a materialistic society, transcendence is often overlooked or dismissed as unimportant, and people lack opportunities for awe or spiritual growth.
• Improvement: Societies can promote transcendence by preserving natural environments where people can experience awe, supporting cultural practices that foster spiritual or artistic expression, and making room for mindfulness, meditation, and religious diversity. Public policy could also ensure access to nature, arts, and cultural experiences, which often provide transcendent moments, as well as fostering respect for spiritual practices without imposing rigid structures.

Authenticity

• Current societal issue: People often feel pressured to conform to societal expectations, such as specific career paths or materialistic lifestyles, which leads to inauthentic living.
• Improvement: Society can encourage authenticity by celebrating diversity of thought, lifestyle, and self-expression. Reducing societal pressure for conformity (e.g., standard career paths or rigid success metrics) and fostering environments where individuals feel free to express their true selves—whether in the workplace, schools, or personal relationships—can allow people to live more authentically. Promoting mental health resources that encourage self-awareness and self-acceptance can also support this.

Resonance

• Current societal issue: Many people feel disconnected from the experiences they have, as life becomes dominated by shallow, surface-level interactions (e.g., through social media, consumerism).
• Improvement: To cultivate resonance, society can prioritize depth and quality of experiences over quantity or superficiality. This could involve encouraging more meaningful cultural and educational experiences—such as promoting the arts, fostering rich conversations, and slowing down the pace of life to allow people to savor experiences. Encouraging people to engage in mindful practices, explore new hobbies, and foster deeper relationships can also help individuals experience more resonance in their lives.

Freedom

• Current societal issue: Many people feel trapped by societal expectations, financial burdens, or rigid structures that limit their ability to explore and live freely.
• Improvement: Society can increase freedom by offering more social safety nets, like universal basic income or robust healthcare, which allow people to take risks, explore their passions, and make life changes without fear of financial ruin. Additionally, promoting flexibility in education, work, and living arrangements can give individuals more control over their lives. Policies that reduce excessive working hours and create opportunities for people to pursue personal growth, creativity, and travel can increase a sense of freedom.

Conclusion

To make society more conducive to meaningful living, we can reorient our values, structures, and policies around these components. This would require a shift away from overemphasizing productivity, wealth, and consumption, and toward fostering connection, authenticity, personal growth, and fulfillment. While larger forces like globalization and corporate capitalism pose challenges, incremental changes in culture, policy, and community dynamics can help create environments where meaning is not such a rare and difficult thing to find.

Some of these feel more cultural, others more political. For the cultural things, there is currently nothing holding us back from doing them. All that it would take is for more people to intentionally choose to live in a specific way. For the political things, such as universal basic income, it feels like more of an uphill battle. In the US, we have a two-party political system, and neither party seems interested in UBI.

You’re absolutely right in distinguishing between cultural and political factors. Cultural changes can often begin immediately through individual and collective choices, while political reforms, especially those like universal basic income (UBI), often face significant structural and institutional hurdles.

Cultural Shifts

The power of cultural change lies in its grassroots nature—people can choose to live differently today by intentionally fostering connection, authenticity, resonance, and other aspects of meaning. These shifts don’t require waiting for legislation or policy changes but rely on enough people embracing different values and lifestyles. Things like prioritizing meaningful relationships, slowing down, and engaging in activities that bring resonance can all happen on a personal and community level.

If enough people live in ways that foster meaning, it could create a ripple effect where these cultural changes influence broader society, potentially shaping future policy by altering collective values over time. For example, when people choose to live more communally, embrace diverse lifestyles, or emphasize mental well-being over material success, it signals a shift that eventually pressures institutions and systems to adapt.

Political Challenges

On the political side, reforms like UBI represent more systemic shifts and face obstacles because they challenge entrenched economic systems and ideologies. In the U.S., the two-party system does indeed make it difficult to push for transformative policies outside the mainstream. UBI, for example, threatens to upend traditional labor market dynamics, which is why neither major political party has made it a central part of their platform.

However, political change often follows cultural change. As more people begin to see the cracks in the current system—overwork, income inequality, and job precarity—the demand for alternatives like UBI may grow. Grassroots movements, third-party candidates, or popular advocacy for these ideas can help push them into the mainstream. While it’s an uphill battle, the success of policies like Medicare and Social Security, which were once considered radical, shows that systemic change is possible over time.

What You Can Do

Culturally, people can start making changes by:

• Forming communities that prioritize connection and authenticity.
• Promoting discourse around meaning and alternative lifestyles through writing, podcasts, and public discussions.
• Living intentionally in a way that aligns with these values and supporting businesses, organizations, and policies that reflect them.

Politically, while it feels more challenging, advocacy can help by:

• Supporting candidates (even locally) who back policies like UBI or social safety nets.
• Engaging in discussions that help raise awareness of alternatives to the current system.
• Building coalitions that bring issues like UBI into broader conversations, linking them to other progressive reforms (healthcare, education, etc.).

Ultimately, the cultural shift can create the environment where political possibilities become more realistic, though it may take time. You’re right that cultural change is more within immediate reach, but sustained advocacy could pave the way for political changes too.

Actually, on second thought, I think the political stuff is actually a blocker for the cultural stuff. Because ask yourself why people don’t currently “choose to live differently today by intentionally fostering connection, authenticity, resonance, and other aspects of meaning.” The reason is that we live in a political/economic system that requires us to work 40 hours per week, meaning we have time and energy for very little else.

You’re absolutely right—political and economic systems are often significant barriers to cultural change. The 40-hour workweek, financial pressures, and the demand for constant productivity can drain the time and energy people need to foster connection, authenticity, and resonance in their lives. These structural demands can leave individuals trapped in survival mode, where they have little bandwidth to focus on deeper aspects of meaning.

This highlights how interconnected political and cultural systems are. The pressure to conform to work schedules and economic demands means that even if people want to live more intentionally, they often can’t, because they are too exhausted or financially strained to do so. This is why systemic reforms, like reducing work hours, providing a universal basic income, or increasing worker protections, are so crucial—they would free people up to focus on what truly matters.

In this sense, political change isn’t just one piece of the puzzle—it’s a necessary foundation. Without shifting the political and economic landscape, it’s hard to create the cultural conditions for more meaningful lives. You’re right to see these political reforms as the potential enabler of cultural transformation, where people have the space and freedom to make more intentional, meaningful choices.

I am reminded of Aristotle’s assertion that “man is a political animal.” There is no escaping politics. Almost anything worth doing or thinking about ultimately touches “politics” (broadly defined) in some way.

Aristotle’s assertion that “man is a political animal” feels especially relevant here. His point—that humans are inherently social creatures whose lives and actions are inextricably linked to the structures of the polis (society or political community)—highlights the fact that the personal and the political are deeply intertwined. Almost everything that matters to us—meaning, freedom, connection—inevitably touches politics, because politics shapes the conditions in which we live, work, and relate to each other.

This can feel overwhelming, as it implies that meaningful change often requires engaging with complex political systems that govern our lives. But it also means that by recognizing this connection, there’s an opportunity to actively shape political structures to better serve human flourishing.

In a way, Aristotle’s insight pushes us to see politics not as a distant or separate realm, but as a vital arena for creating the conditions where more meaningful lives are possible. Whether through small-scale community engagement or larger advocacy for systemic change, this realization opens up a pathway to not just living more meaningful lives ourselves but helping to reshape society to make it easier for everyone else to do so, too.

Suppose someone wanted to dedicate the rest of their life to pushing for a society that encourages the cultivation of meaning. What practical steps would you recommend?

Dedicating one’s life to pushing for a society that encourages the cultivation of meaning is a profound and ambitious goal. Here are practical steps someone could take, combining both cultural and political strategies to create meaningful change:

Clarify Your Vision and Focus

• Define meaning: Start by articulating what you believe constitutes a meaningful life. Are you focused on fostering community, reducing work hours, promoting connection with nature, or pushing for systemic changes like UBI? This clarity will guide your actions.
• Identify your strengths: Consider your skills and passions. Are you a good communicator, organizer, or thinker? Understanding where you can have the most impact will shape your approach.

Build Community and Networks

• Join or create like-minded communities: Seek out or form groups dedicated to meaning-making, such as intentional living communities, organizations focused on well-being, or political movements advocating for structural changes like shorter workweeks or UBI.
• Collaborate with others: Change happens through collective action. Work with activists, thinkers, and leaders who share similar goals, and build networks that amplify your efforts.

Advocate for Political Change

• Engage in local and national politics: Identify politicians, parties, or movements that align with your vision for a meaning-centered society. Lobby for policies like UBI, healthcare reform, and reduced work hours.
• Start or join political campaigns: If no existing party supports these ideas, work to form or join a movement that prioritizes meaning-making policies. Advocacy at both local and national levels can push these ideas into public discourse.
• Support labor rights and economic reforms: Fight for changes in labor laws that give people more time and freedom to pursue meaningful activities, such as campaigns for the four-day workweek or stronger worker protections.

Engage in Cultural Transformation

• Promote meaning-making in your community: Host events, workshops, or discussions on topics like connection, authenticity, and resonance. Facilitate community-building efforts through arts, culture, and mindfulness practices that bring people together.
• Create or contribute to public discourse: Write articles, start a blog or podcast, or engage in social media to discuss the importance of meaning in life. Offer practical advice, philosophical reflections, and advocate for systemic changes that allow more people to live meaningful lives.

Focus on Education and Awareness

• Advocate for educational reform: Push for education systems that prioritize holistic development—teaching students emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and meaning-making skills alongside traditional subjects.
• Teach or mentor others: Help others explore meaning in their own lives through mentorship, teaching, or public speaking. Inspire others to see how cultural and political structures influence their pursuit of meaning and encourage them to engage in systemic change.

Live as a Model of Meaning

• Walk the talk: Live in alignment with your beliefs about meaning, whether that’s through cultivating deep relationships, fostering connection, or pursuing your passions. This will inspire others to do the same.
• Be intentional in your work: If you work within a traditional structure, try to integrate meaning-making into your work. This could be by fostering a better work-life balance, creating more humane corporate cultures, or emphasizing connection and authenticity in leadership roles.

Support Research and Innovation

• Support or participate in research on meaning: Collaborate with academic institutions or think tanks researching well-being, meaning, and human flourishing. This could help produce data and ideas to fuel policy changes or cultural shifts.
• Invest in social experiments: Support or start projects that test new ways of living and organizing society, such as communes, co-living spaces, or worker cooperatives that emphasize meaning and well-being over profit and productivity.

Organize for Systemic Change

• Create or support organizations focused on meaning-making: Develop or join organizations that focus on promoting a meaningful society, whether through political advocacy, community-building, or cultural work. These organizations can serve as a hub for people with similar goals.
• Mobilize campaigns and movements: Organize petitions, protests, or awareness campaigns that bring public attention to policies or cultural issues that block meaning. This could include labor reforms, healthcare access, or advocating for shorter workweeks.

Embrace Patience and Long-Term Thinking

• Understand the timeline: Systemic change takes time. Focus on incremental steps that build toward larger goals. It may be decades before meaningful societal transformation takes place, but every action counts.
• Stay adaptable: As the world changes, new opportunities will arise to push for meaning-friendly policies or cultural shifts. Be ready to adapt and adjust your strategy while staying true to your vision.

Practice Self-Care and Meaning in Your Own Life

• Prevent burnout: Fighting for systemic change can be exhausting, so ensure that you practice self-care and live meaningfully yourself. Engage in activities that replenish your energy and remind you of why you’re committed to this cause.
• Balance activism and personal meaning: Remember that while societal change is important, living a meaningful life yourself is crucial. You can’t push for meaning-making in society if you aren’t cultivating it within your own life.

By taking these practical steps, someone could contribute to both cultural and political transformation in ways that encourage society to cultivate meaning as a priority. Even though large-scale change might feel overwhelming, small actions—done consistently—can have a cumulative impact, especially when aligned with a broader movement or vision.