Meaning in Modern Life
I was recently in NYC to record an episode of futurist Sinead Bovell’s show I’ve Got Questions (link on image above). For this week’s Flourishing Friday, I want to share our conversation. I really enjoyed the discussion and thought Sinead asked some excellent questions. We talked about the human search for meaning, the existential nature of work, what it means to be human as AI becomes increasingly capable of the complex reasoning and creative problem-solving that made us feel special, nostalgia as a future-oriented resource, and other topics related to human motivation and wellbeing.
If these are topics you find interesting, I think you’ll enjoy the full episode. Here are a few key ideas that came up, things I think are especially relevant as we navigate this moment of rapid technological change.
The Inward/Outward Paradox
One point I tried to emphasize is that we often confuse why we need meaning with how we find it. Our self-awareness, combined with other cognitive capacities, allows us to ponder existential questions, which drives the need for meaning. That’s the inward part. But we generally don’t find meaning by looking inward. We find it by turning outward and striving to make positive contributions to the world through our relationships, work, and other activities.
This matters because so much advice today tells people to focus inward on self-care. And while this has its place, to truly flourish, you have to direct your attention outward. You have to get in the game. Meaning comes from action, from mattering to others, from being useful. Check out these previous newsletters for more of my thoughts on this topic.
Don’t Overthink the Meaning of Your Life
What Science Tells Us About Living a Meaningful Life
Toward an Outward Action Approach to Mental Health
What AI Is Really Exposing
Another topic we covered was how AI relates to meaning. Major technological and cultural disruptions can feel like threats to meaning. But AI might represent something more significant than typical technological change. It has the potential to do much of this cognitive work we thought made us special. I believe this will provoke us to think more holistically about what distinguishes our humanity.
We are biological organisms, not machines. We need tangible, physical engagement with the world. We don’t just engage in cold cognitive reasoning. We have deeply social, emotional, and spiritual lives. Importantly, our need for meaning ensures that we’ll keep searching for ways to contribute and make a difference, even as AI capabilities expand. AI can’t change that fundamental human need. It will be useful to keep this in mind in our discussions about the future of work.
Work and Adaptation
We also talked specifically about how this relates to work. We’ve been through this before. Think about when ATMs were introduced. People worried they would destroy banking jobs, but they actually created new kinds of banking jobs and opportunities. Technological disruption can be difficult, but humans adapt. We are resilient and creative. The key is to remain open-minded, hopeful, and aspirational about the future we can build. Understanding human nature more holistically, beyond just our cognitive abilities, gives us a better foundation for adapting to technological change and finding meaningful work in the future.
Nostalgia as Fuel for the Future
Sinead also asked about the growing retro counterculture with people using flip phones, leaving dating apps, returning to physical media, seeking more nature, and embracing analog experiences. This connects to my nostalgia research. These aren’t people who want to live in the past. They’re not rejecting progress. They’re recognizing we’ve lost something valuable in our rush toward the digital and trying to reclaim it. They’re using the past to identify what fulfilled us as humans so they can build a better future. Nostalgia is forward-looking. It’s how we figure out what’s worth preserving as we move into new territory. I’ve written about nostalgia and progress in previous newsletters. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the following:
Why I Call Myself a Nostalgia Futurist
New Insights on Historical Nostalgia
The Forward-Looking Power of Nostalgic Movies
Nostalgia and Our Humanity in the Age of AI
Starting Where You Are
Sinead asked what I’d tell someone struggling to find meaning right now. This is something I’m going to dive deeper into in next week’s newsletter, but the short version is this. Meaning is like exercise. The hardest part is starting. Don’t look for something grand. Identify a small need you can help with, whether in your community, at work, or with your family. Meaning comes from action, and once you start, it becomes self-reinforcing. More on this next week.
There’s much more in the full conversation, which you can find here.
Have a great weekend!
Clay