For a long time, intellectuals have been stereotyped as atheists—people who reject God, tradition, and inherited beliefs. Yet, when we study the lives and writings of great philosophers, psychologists, poets, and spiritual thinkers, a deeper truth emerges:
The question was never about rejecting meaning — it was about how meaning is formed.
Some believed meaning is created.
Others believed meaning is discovered.
A few believed meaning is realized through action.
This tension between creation and discovery lies at the heart of human thought.
The Existential View: Meaning Is Created
Existential philosophers emerged in a world shaken by war, suffering, and loss of faith in institutions. Their conclusion was radical yet empowering.
Jean-Paul Sartre famously declared:
“Existence precedes essence.” — Jean-Paul Sartre
For Sartre, human beings are not born with a predefined purpose. There is no fixed script. Meaning is shaped by choices, responsibility, and action.
He reinforced this idea when he wrote:
“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.” — Jean-Paul Sartre
Here, meaning is not waiting to be found—it is built, moment by moment.
Similarly, Albert Camus confronted what he called the “absurd”—the conflict between our search for meaning and a silent universe. Yet his response was not despair, but defiance:
“The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.” — Albert Camus
For Camus, meaning emerges through resistance, courage, and persistence.
The Psychological View: Meaning Is Discovered
While existentialists spoke of creating meaning, Viktor E. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, argued something subtly different.
“Man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life.” — Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl believed meaning already exists in life—even in suffering. Our task is not to invent it, but to recognize and respond to it responsibly.
He wrote with striking clarity:
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning.” — Viktor E. Frankl
For Frankl, meaning is not philosophical abstraction. It is practical, personal, and tied to how we face pain, duty, and love.
The Philosophical Depth: Meaning as Inner Awakening
Some thinkers looked inward rather than outward.
Carl Jung, blending psychology with philosophy, observed:
“The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.” — Carl Jung
For Jung, meaning arises when life aligns with the inner self. Without that alignment, success feels empty.
Friedrich Nietzsche, often misunderstood as a nihilist, actually argued the opposite:
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
Nietzsche believed meaning gives strength, resilience, and vitality—even amid suffering.
The Indian Perspective: Meaning Through Action and Service
Indian philosophy approached meaning very differently—without denying doubt or reason.
The Bhagavad Gita offers a practical framework:
“You have the right to perform your duty, but not to the fruits of action.” — Bhagavad Gita
Here, meaning is not found by obsessing over outcomes, but by committing fully to action.
Swami Vivekananda echoed this focus:
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life.” — Swami Vivekananda
And Rabindranath Tagore captured the joy that arises when meaning becomes service:
“I acted and behold, service was joy.” — Rabindranath Tagore
For Indian thinkers, meaning is not a theory—it is a way of living.
So, Is Meaning Created or Discovered?
The truth is not binary.
- Existentialists say meaning is created
- Psychologists say meaning is discovered
- Spiritual traditions say meaning is realized through action
Together, they point to one conclusion:
Meaning is not handed to us.
It emerges when thought, responsibility, and action align.
Final Reflection
Intellectuals do not reject meaning.
They reject easy answers.
Whether through philosophy, psychology, or spirituality, the greatest minds agreed on one thing:
A life without meaning is unbearable—but a life lived consciously becomes meaningful on its own.
In the end, meaning is not something we merely think about.
It is something we live.