Meaning Is Meaningless - Grasshopper

Often when people tell me what they want, I ask a follow-up question like: "What will that do for you?" If their answer has any form of the phrase "that means" in it, they will often be disappointed even if they achieve their goal.

"That means I will be a good mother." "That means I will have achieved success." "It means that I'll be a somebody." No it doesn't.

 

Meaning is something illusionary that we attach to an event or set of circumstances. I'm reminded of the lyrics from the Van Morrison song "Domino."

 

There's no need for argument

There's no argument at all

And if you never hear from him

That just means he didn't call

 

"Why didn't I hear from him?" You can't even calculate the number of answers you can come up with because there are infinite possibilities to add meaning. The fact-based answer contains no meaning - "he didn't call."

 

X does not mean Y.

X means X.

 

The meaning you attach to something just clouds your view of the reality that's right in front of you.

 

We get sidetracked by meaning. Time spent adding meaning to something keeps you from experiencing what it is you actually have. When you add meaning, you are experiencing the illusion of meaning vs. the reality of the situation.

 

Adding meaning to others' actions or desires is claiming that you can read minds. Adding meaning to your own wants and actions is an exercise in diversion - diverting you from the reality that's been presented.

 

Can you see that adding meaning is just talking to yourself in your head, nothing more? You are attempting to build meaning on a foundation of marshmallows.

 

Meaning is a way of trapping yourself in a thought loop that has no exit ramp. It always will delay you from taking the next step. When you get so steeped in your imaginary story of meaning, you become weighted down by inaction.

 

You will continue to meander around reality by attaching meaning to something. When you discover that meaning is meaningless, life takes on a whole new meaning.

 

All the best,

John