Small Talk

@raraishere

Hello! I read what you wrote in your profile.

If I'm understanding, your perspective is that meaning isn't something that exists independent of people creating it and defining it for themselves. So if someone else tries to impose a meaning and says, "This is what you ought to find meaningful," I imagine your instinct would be to say, "No, I'm not obligated to believe what you're telling me or do that just because you believe it's the right thing for me to do. I'm allowed to define what I care about and choose things according to what feels right or enjoyable for me."

I'd say I agree with that. 😊 The wrinkle or confusing bit for me personally is that "what I want" tends to move around a lot. So in addition to that sort of existentialist angle of, "I'm free to define my own meaning", there's a sort of lived reality for me of, "I don't control my own feelings or have the ability to decide what will feel meaningful to me". So there's a certain kind of attitude I have toward myself where I don't fully know or control who I am; there is something within me that is beyond my understanding; and I find myself sometimes benefiting from yielding, surrendering, and trying to be receptive to what my feelings/instincts are throwing at me.