Two men have a conversation about the meaning of life. This should happen more often at SLOHS. Photo courtesy of the Conversation Agent.
San Luis Obispo High School students are in a stage of life figuring out what role they want to play for themselves and later on in the future. One of the questions that could be on our minds is the meaning of life. Expressions interviewed a few students to discuss opinions on the topic from a teenage perspectives.:
Expressions: Do you believe there is a “specific” meaning of life? If so, what is it? If not, what broad meanings could life contain?
Junior Jacqueline Cline: I don’t think there is a specific meaning of life, it’s definitely a broad spectrum based off of beliefs and your own goals. For myself the meaning of life is to put meaning into it and live it to the fullest, but that means different things for different people.
Junior at Hölderlin Gymnasium Heidelberg Liam Grösgen: I think yes, specific for everyone. Perhaps a common meaning of life is conceiving it. Life could also just be about finding meaning.
Freshman Joshua Oliviera: Yes. I believe the meaning of life is finding your “purpose”.
Expressions: Does every person have the same meaning?
Cline: Meanings of life for different people will always change because we are all so different, the goals and aspirations of myself are completely different from the next person’s and the next, there is the common desire for happiness and self fulfillment, but how each person gets there is different.
Oliviera: Yes, I believe everyone is striving to find their ”purpose”. (Of course this “purpose” is different for everyone but my point still stands.)
Grösgen: I think some people have more meaning than others.
Expressions: Out of scientific, spiritual, or personal view, how does the meaning of life differ/change?
Oliviera: It changes depending on the person (their background, mental state, ect.).
Grösgen: Well it depends on being male or female or at what stage you’re at in life.
Different people, different opinions. As the answers suggest, it is very dependent on the person, their history and internal motivations where there is a common desire for finding purpose. There are views carrying the opinion that ‘in order to live, you have to work’. Some believe that procreation and success in career are the one and only purpose found in life. Lots of definitions are out there, however personally stating, the meaning of life is to acknowledge its worth, find what’s fulfilling for each individual and make it meaningful through simply living it.
