meaning comes from nothing By Lucas chang

Many people find meaning in their life. to paraphrase jennifer newton, "we live in a meaningless world." sO how can one create meaning with nothing? that is up to them. they create their own meaning. i find meaning in a card game called yu-gi-oh. it brings my happiness and holds a great deal of value to me. therefore, i would hate to lose meaning in yu-gi-oh.
Albert Camus, a famous french writer, wrote a novel called, The Stranger, explaining how life is meaningless yet we find meaning in a meaningless world. Albert Camus, an existentialist writer, was born in 1913 in Drean Algeria. He died in Villeblevin France on january fourth 1960. Even though he was an existentialist writer, he did not want to be identified as one. He is best known for his absurdist works. He also won a nobel prize for literature in 1957. Another existentialist writer is Antoine De Saint - Exupery. One of his most famous quotes is, “We do not pray for immortality, but only not to see our acts and all things stripped suddenly of all their meaning; for then it is the utter emptiness of everything reveals itself.” Antoine De Saint- Exupery is most famous for his children's book, The little prince, although it is a children's book, it is very complicated, the tells a story about a young prince who wants to get off of a planet and return home. the only way to get home is by getting bit by a snake.

Thesis: One does not wish to lose meaning. When there is no meaning, we must find our own meaning.

In the fictional works, The Stranger and The Little Prince both main characters are trying to find meaning. the world has no meaning, just like merusault. while meursault was laying in his bed, he thinks to himself, "I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and they greet me with cries of hate."Meursault lived his life as if nothing really mattered. He lived carelessly. Even when his mom died he did not really cared. The next day he was swimming with Marie, a girl he met at work which then later becomes his partner. At the end of the novel he started to find meaning and started to care. He found meaning in his execution.Camus uses a fictional character, to convey the idea of finding meaning in a meaningless world. Many people in society, can relate and connect with meursault with finding meaning when there is none.
“If I were to say to he he grown-ups: “I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof,” They would not be able to get any of that house at all. You would have to say to them: “I saw a house that cost $20,000.” Then they would exclaim: oh, what a pretty house that is!” Adults look for facts and statistics. They would not believe someone if they were to say, “We can start our own business with a store made out of candy selling toys.” However if one were to say, “We can start a fast food business for $10,000,” then they would start to listen because it would be a reasonable investment. Antoine De Saint- Exupery uses a child because the child used his imagination to create meaning he found in a drawing he drew. Adults do not have much imagination as kids do. Therefore, Antoine De Saint- Exupery creates a child fiction character to explain that, when there is no meaning we tend to create our own meaning.
Even though The Stranger and The Little Prince was made over ninety years ago, people are still connecting and relating to them on a personal level. They are making their own meaning. for example, arron gwyn, author of an article called, albert camus' poker-faced stranger became a much needed friend, explains, "“... but when I started writing (imitations, at first, of meursault’s story), that depth and intensity of emotion became an incredible gift, and oddly enough, the rage began to cool. It was meursault who helped me to do that - a stranger who, in time, became a friend.” Aaron Gwyn had a great deal of rage in him. He said, “All this rage (and about a squillion other emotions: a thoroughly un-Meursault way of existing on planet earth.” Gwyn even said, “It was hard not to relate.” He related to meursault causing him to release all of his anger. Gwyn could relate and connect with meursault making him more happy and less angry. He found meaning in meursault to a personal level. B. EVIDENCE: “Movie stars such as James Dean and Marlon Brando portrayed loners at the edge of society, not even sure what they are protesting about.”
“Movie stars such as James Dean and Marlon Brando portrayed loners at the edge of society, not even sure what they are protesting about.” James Dean and Marlon Brando are actors that pretend to be someone else. They pretend to be someone else because they lose meaning in their own life. According to the article, The Cult of The Outsider, it says, “Young people become bored with their own culture, it loses meaning for them.” Many people lose meaning in their own meaning. That is why people create fictional characters to create meaning. Just as James Dean and Marlon Brando did.
Although creating meaning is most essential in life, there are many people who believe finding meaning in life is pointless. Some people say there is no meaning in life. according to encyclopedia philosophy, nihilism is, "A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy." they have no purpose and do not want to have meaning. they do not care about anything.
a great example of nihilism is the 1999 motion picture fight club directed by david fincher. in the beginning,the main character could not sleep. although he was healthy, he could not sleep, until he created an imaginary person to help him create a fight club. he explains that life is meaningless. they work day in and day out nonstop just to waste all their money on bills. these nihilist then become anarchist and planned to destroy every office institutions. even though they were nihilist, they still found meaning. it may not be a good meaning, but it is still meaning. they found meaning in their fight club.
In conclusion, we do not wish to lose meaning. In fact we wish to have meaning. That is why people create their own meaning when there is no meaning. Just as Meursault did with his death sentences, just as The Little Prince did with his drawings. in addition, even though some nihilist believe there is no meaning, there is still a meaning. just as i explained with the motion picture fight club. If there is no meaning, what is the point of anything? The world is already a meaningless world. It is how you take it in and create your own meaning.

Credits:

Created with images by Unsplash - "beach sand ocean" • PietG - "match matches sticks" • JAMoutinho - "Lighthouse in Lightroom"

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