Meaning(lessness)

[Where I See Fear – I]

Paul Tillich helped us see that the two biggest causes of anxiety are death and meaninglessness.

The end of life haunts us from the future. We will die.

But even worse, we don’t know the purpose of the life we’re living.

The first is a low simmer that slowly heats up our fear as we age. Relatively unaware of it when we are young, we become consumed by it as it approaches in later years.

The second burns hot from a young age. Youth are enamored by campfire conversation about the meaning of life and finding their purpose in it.

Behind most fear is an unanswered question: “What's the meaning of all this and what’s my role in it?” In other words, we don’t have enough campfire conversation with young people. And we don’t have enough elders that have answered these questions for themselves, that they might be inspired to ask them of children.

People like us seek these answers. And talk to kids about them.