THE SLOW RECEDING TIDE (Unveiling the Meaning Crisis)

ENTRY 03

Do you ever feel as though you’re drowning, perpetually being pulled further under by responsibilities, debts and misfortunes? The surface may be close, but you can never seem to breakthrough and gasp for air. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but there’s this lingering feeling of impending anxiety. An undercurrent of questions unanswered (perhaps not even exercised). Uneasy feelings looming. Your life seems to lack substance – meaning. American philosopher Henry David Thoreau wrote – “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”[1]

To put it bluntly – as civilisations become more complex and materially advanced many people simply become a number in the system, a means to an end. Profit bearing vessels of utility. A piece of flesh with a value in labour. Living a life of duty is one thing, but ‘going through the motions’ and allowing life to happen to you seems not to suffice – at least if you would like to acquire some level of fulfilment. The industrial revolution springing out of the 1700’s has transformed our lives, but human nature remains the same. You have a yearning for something more, ruminating in deeper questions; the same way a medieval peasant sat on a rock contemplating, a philosopher king in Rome wrestled with these enquiries, and our children’s grandchildren will ponder these same questions.

We are at a unique point in history (although what period isn’t?). While the world is not completely at peace, the collective populations scattered throughout the globe have felt a prolonged period of prosperity and industrial growth – post WW2. In the developed nations, those in ‘the West’ and much of Europe, parts of Asia, have seen objective abundance in resources. Economists measure countries’ wealth through Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – economic output. The GDP per capita (GDP divided by population) in advanced economies is ~58.26k USD. [2] According to the World Bank, in 1981 43.8% of the world population lived in extreme poverty; marked at $2.15 USD/day/person. [3][4] In 2022 this level was now at 9%. [3] This unfortunately does not tell the full story – if only a metric such as this could measure happiness and fulfilment… Because despite, on average, modernity having access to more resources, a large swathe of people are not OK. There is an undercurrent of disillusioned men and women, fundamentally unhappy with the way of the world – or at least the established status quo. All roads lead to a meaning crisis.

Why, with access to all this advanced technology, do humans still struggle to live a meaningful life? Well, my friend, the answer is not simple… However, it can be hypothesised that meaning must not solely be derived from a wealth of material resources, greater convenience, or more ‘freedom to identify’ the way the wind blows. You don’t need to dig too deep to find examples of well-known figures throughout history that have critiqued financial success, fame or getting ‘what they wanted’. Albert Einstein famously wrote, “Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury – to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind.” [5]

A common rebuttal to this would follow, ‘well it’s easy for a rich, famous person to say.” Absolutely fair. There is good evidence to indicate that a certain level of financial success correlates to a ‘happier life’. But this may be a law of diminishing returns. That is, the more you earn beyond a point may not actually translate to more happiness (markedly difficult to measure objectively). Once you’ve accounted for necessities such as shelter, drinking water, and food – happiness plateaus. One study finds that the income-happiness correlation increases steadily for the ‘majority happy population’, but levels off for the ‘unhappy minority’ at 100k/year. [6] Another study points to income inequality largely being a key driver to life satisfaction. In societies with higher GDP, but a larger disparity between the rich and the poor, the lower and middle classes are more likely to engage in upward social comparison and suffer from status anxiety. [7] Class warfare some would say.

This further validates the importance of knowing what to optimise for. Richness in resources is not a bad thing; but is it not all too common to see a resourceful emptiness in the eyes of the rich? The rat race is notoriously unending. Meaningful work with less pay vs soulless work with higher wages. Making your mark vs maximising shareholder profit. We can certainly hope for and build a better world filled with equal opportunities for all to pursue their higher purpose. If we take this step back, perhaps we shouldn’t incentivise success measured in a material sense – even if this may correlate to some greater degree of life satisfaction. The king in their ivory tower and the prisoner labouring away in the fields both have access to the rich mindset. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning. [8]

We control nothing, we influence everything. A staple sentiment in stoic philosophy is understanding that you cannot explicitly control the external world, only your reaction to what happens. The reality is, unfortunately, war will always be present, power will corrupt, the rich get richer, injustice will go on unopposed, people you trust will betray you. To solve a broken world, we must first build a fortified mindset. A resilient attitude unwavered by the exterior domains. A world that is perceived inside the lense you elect to wear. It is a feedback loop. One that can be manipulated into your vision if you first work inwardly. I will paraphrase a sentiment of Jordan Peterson –“You must first clean your room before you can tackle the problems of the world.”[9]

The bedroom of the internal mind may be the messiest of all. Purpose, meaning, fulfilment; how on earth do I even begin to comprehend this in the context of my cluttered psyche? What activities facilitate deeper meaning? In the book, ‘The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying’, Bronnie Ware points to a clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives. What mattered most (upon reflection) was more free time pursuing a lifestyle full of enjoyable moments (less ‘work’), and spending quality time with loved ones [10]. It is difficult to make a blanket statement on what activities will make youfeel happy. Happy in the moment or delayed gratification? What works for one won’t work for another. Nonetheless, there’s a good chance being out in nature, achieving something hard, or time with friends and family is near the top of your list.

I have written a pragmatic formula, especially helpful to younger generations, which can practically help those struggling to float their ship, or course correct. I call it ‘The Optimised Happy Living Equation.’ Although the name is not all that important. This is not an all-encompassing antidote, as the answer will be quite distinct among every individual. It may propel you into the right direction if you need that extra push. To locate your north star.

Figure 1 Example: Breakeven point (in hours) trends down with higher (hourly) income. Max. time for contemplation (in hours) trends up with higher income or less preoccupied hours. The above inputs: necessary expenses in this graph are set to $650 AUD/week, with hourly rates ranging between $30-$100. Sleep hour is set to 8 hours/day. Estimated preoccupied time is 6 hours/day. Lifestyle leisure activities is 5 hours/day. These inputs can be adjusted to reflect your own life. The optimal point will be when your required breakeven point is equal or less to max. time in contemplation. This can be achieved via 1. Reducing your required living expenses; 2. Increasing your value creation in your economy; or 3. A mixture of both.

Is it possible to harness a passion you may have into value for others? If not, what are you good at, that the relevant economy you live within, also values? Be reasonable: calculate how much time you need to invest into that specific line of ‘work’ (or play if you’re fortunate) to compensate the necessities of your living. This is a spectrum of time that will look different for everyone. Look for a balance – tow the line between work and play.

The sweet spot will mean you have allowed (nearing to) the maximum allowable time for ‘free time’. This free time is best used in contemplation and experimenting with interests and hobbies. Contemplation is key! Think deeply on the direction of your life. What is your purpose/mission? Once you have established clarity – begin to orient your work into supporting the mission. Be more intentional. Perhaps this means adding back some work hours or starting a side hustle. Or more dramatically, quitting the job that doesn’t align with where you are going or moving away from your comfortable home. On the voyage of life, the vessel is less important than the direction…

~

It is no good to unendingly ruminate on meaning to the point of insanity. What your nature demands should come fluidly. Your gut, interior spirit, inner voice, God, or ‘higher self’, ought guide what you do. Be awake to listen. What truly matters most? To you? How can I build a life that facilitates these values? What do I optimise for? Spend more time to contemplate your existence. Why am I here? Isn’t this existence quite remarkable? Inspire an awe within you. Be mindful. Be present. Become the genius you were born to be.

“I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days, and spent them lavishly!”

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now build the foundations underneath!”

- Henry David Thoreau, Walden

1. Thoreau, H.D. (1854). Walden. See Chapter ‘Economy’.

2. International Monetary Fund. (2024). GDP per capita, current prices.https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/NGDPDPC@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD

3. QERY. (2024). Global Extreme Poverty. https://qery.no/global-poverty/

4. The World Bank. (2024). Poverty and Inequality. https://datatopics.worldbank.org/world-development-indicators/themes/poverty-and-inequality.html#:~:text=The%20current%20international%20extreme%20poverty,of%2028%20low%2Dincome%20countries.

5. Einstein, A. (1931). Living Philosophies. Pg 3. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/31058817.pdf

6. Killingsworth, M.A. Kahneman, D. Mellers, B. (2023). Income and emotional wellbeing: a conflict resolved. PNAS. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2208661120

7. Oishi, S. Cha, Y. Ono, H. (2022). Money and hapinness: the income-happiness correlation is higher when income inequality is higher. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9802463/

8. Frankl, V.E. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning.

9. Peterson, J.B. (2018). 12 Rules for Life. See Chapter 6: Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.

10. Ware, B. (2011). The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.