Latest news with #meaning
Independent Singapore
15-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Independent Singapore
'I'm done being an NPC': Why so many Singaporeans feel trapped in their own game
SINGAPORE: In a viral post on r/askSingapore , an HR professional recounted a conversation with a departing employee who said something painfully honest: 'I feel like an NPC — a non-playable character — just going through the motions.' This wasn't a dramatic resignation. The man had been a quiet, reliable employee for six years, earning steady raises from S$4,200 to S$7,200. He lived modestly, spent frugally, and had no pressing financial burden, and yet, when the CEO's son joined as a management trainee, he saw something that struck a deeper chord: 'No matter how hard I work, my end point will always be someone else's starting line.' It was never about money. It was about meaning. The 9-6 dilemma While some Redditors pointed out that Singaporeans do have agency over their personal lives, others noted the constraints that make those hours feel hollow. Work-life balance is eroding, not just in time but in spirit. In Singapore, we work an average of 45 hours a week — one of the highest globally before factoring in overtime. According to national statistics, on average, we now sleep just 6.8 hours per night, making us one of the most sleep-deprived developed nations. The median commuting time has also jumped to 60 minutes, up from 50 a decade ago. So when work eats into sleep and transit eats into life, what's left of the 'life' part of work-life balance? As one commenter who's lived in the UK and Canada put it: 'Singapore is amazing indoors — libraries, gyms, theatres, but we lack nature accessibility, affordable spontaneity, and time. Even if I want to do more, the heat, cost, and exhaustion all get in the way.' The NPC metaphor hits a nerve Calling oneself an NPC isn't just internet slang. It's a cry from a generation feeling disconnected — not just from work, but from the promise that hard work leads to upward mobility or personal fulfilment. The Singaporean social compact, long premised on meritocracy and striving, is being quietly questioned — not in protest, but in weary resignation. When someone feels that success isn't a ladder but a loop, it's not burnout alone they face. It's narrative collapse. Where do we go from here? We don't lack entertainment or infrastructure. What we lack may be permission — to pause, to breathe, to reimagine identity beyond performance metrics. If we want people to stop feeling like NPCs, the answer isn't always a higher salary or a Friday team lunch. It's autonomy. It's ownership. It's the belief that life isn't just about being productive, but being present. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Entrepreneur
14-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Post-COVID Luxury Isn't Louder — It's Ethical
Luxury is no longer defined by shine, but rather by story. In a market where meaning outpaces margin, brands built on values are rewriting the rules. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Luxury isn't about more anymore. It's about meaning. I've walked red carpets draped in elegance. I've stood on the aspirational side of the velvet ropes once seen as symbols of success. But over time, I've learned: if luxury comes at the cost of our conscience, it's not luxury…it's illusion. Today's luxury consumer isn't dazzled by shine alone. They're asking deeper questions: "Where did this come from?" "What's the real story behind it?" "Does this reflect who I am?" I've studied the diamond industry extensively. It's a clear case study in how legacy models are being challenged. Traditional mining comes with a staggering environmental price. A single carat can displace 250 tons of earth, consume four cubic meters of water and release 109 kg of CO₂ into the atmosphere. In contrast, most lab-grown diamonds are now being produced using clean, renewable energy, either having already transitioned or are actively shifting toward more sustainable sources. That's not a footprint. That's a crater. And people are waking up to it. The new standard is no longer just craftsmanship. It's consciousness. Until recently, luxury brands relied on opacity: unclear sourcing, inflated markups and hidden impacts. But the pandemic did more than disrupt supply chains. It rewired desire. We've hit an inflection point. And the brands leading the next chapter? They've already stopped pretending business as usual will work. Related: What Is Sustainable Fashion? Everything You Need To Know. The market shift When the world doubted, I said with conviction that diamonds were old school, and lab-grown was the future. But even I didn't realize how fast that future would arrive. What we're seeing now is a full-blown shift. In India, where heritage is prized, and in Europe, where tradition defines value, the next generation is buying with both eyes open. When we started Solitario, a jewelry brand specializing in lab-grown diamonds, we knew we were doing more than launching a product. We were challenging a legacy industry to evolve. In countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where diamond mining is rampant, the downstream effects are devastating: Deforestation, water contamination and loss of biodiversity. On top of that, illegal trafficking in these regions funds armed conflict, destabilizing entire communities. This is what luxury used to hide behind price tags. But that mask has slipped. We didn't polish the narrative. We cleaned it up until only the truth remained. We engineered traceability into our model. No exploitation, no greenwashing, no fluff. Just a product that stands on the merits of both ethics and aesthetics. In Europe, 70% of luxury shoppers consider sustainability adoption by luxury brands important, while the U.S. market is catching up. Research shows that a quarter of American consumers in this bracket consider ethics as very important in their purchasing decisions, and we expect that trend to accelerate. If your product's story can't be told with pride, then it's time to rewrite it. Related: Why Having A Strong Brand Isn't a Luxury — But a Necessity The business case for sustainable luxury The lab-grown diamond market is projected to grow in financial value at nearly 10% annually, reaching $55.6 billion by 2031. So, from our perspective, our main challenge is how to scale sustainably in a strictly business sense whilst maintaining environmental consciousness. The old luxury playbook of over-capitalized, high-margin, limited distribution is being outpaced. Today, brands that lead with values are drawing real traction through lean, franchise-driven models. We've had 70+ franchise requests land in our inbox. Not through paid intermediaries. Just brand conviction alone. In my experience, vertical integration through direct lab relationships also provides better control over quality and costs. Governments are taking notice. India now offers zero import duties on lab-grown diamond seeds and machinery, positioning the sector as a strategic national industry. Meanwhile, institutional capital is getting pickier. ESG regulations are tightening. And Millennials and Gen Z, now the dominant consumer base for diamonds in the U.S. and China, don't chase labels. We didn't scale because we shouted louder. We scaled because we listened better. These generations are value-aligned rather than brand-loyal and demand traceability. The question isn't whether traditional luxury brands can evolve. It's whether they can do it fast enough to stay relevant in a world that now expects receipts: ethical, operational and financial. Rewriting the rulebook What's happening in luxury jewelry is part of a larger trend and even cultural movement. The next decade of business will belong to those who can hold profit and purpose in the same breath. From carbon fiber in wristwear to ethical innovations in edtech and agritech, disruption now means more than invention. It means intention. For every venture I back, I ask two questions: Is it good for business? Is it good for the world? If the answer isn't yes to both, it's a pass. Moral conviction and market clarity are not mutually exclusive. It's more than OK to have a clear conscience and make your model scalable and profitable. If we can make luxury cleaner, fairer and still perform at an IPO level, then we have rewritten the rulebook. Our upcoming IPO, for example, is grounded in unit economics and capital-efficient expansion. Our growth has come without heavy debt or marketing bloat, simply because the underlying business model works. Put another way, values scale better than virality. Redefining luxury This approach is attracting institutional attention precisely because it is designed for scrutiny. That is the real disruptive factor. What we are really witnessing is luxury itself being redefined. As leaders, it's our duty not to simply reflect culture, but to help shape it. So I suggest using what I call "weaponized curiosity" to build better systems. Instead of asking, "What will sell?", a better angle is, "What will serve?" That is how we will build a new legacy for the generations to come.
Irish Times
30-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Read the headlines and wonder if everyone is on Ozempic and has ADHD? It's all a bit overwhelming
You already know that absurdity is embedded in our digital world, and yet the constant bombardment confirming as much can be utterly overwhelming. You're endlessly overloaded by conflicting information and opinions. You scroll through news of ecological disaster , war, political failure and economic instability. Then you get an ad for protein yoghurt and an artificial intelligence clip of someone telling you to quit your job and follow your dreams when the average Dublin rent is almost €2,500. Also, there's something fluttering in the back of your mind about who has nuclear weapons and who doesn't. You wonder if you should take the weight loss drug everyone is talking about, except what about that comment you saw on Instagram saying, 'my cousin is a podiatrist and said it makes your feet fall off'? You read headlines and wonder if everyone is getting a facelift and an ADHD diagnosis – it's starting to feel like it – and it all feels absurd. It is absurd – this sense of rudderless, directionless urgency strips our experience of meaning. After watching a terrifying 30-second video about muscle loss and ageing, you order some protein yoghurt. Human beings are meaning-oriented creatures. We don't do well without a sense of 'why'. Why we should get up in the morning. Why we should do the necessary things we'd rather not do. Why our lives and choices, as well as those of other people, matter. Meaning fuels us through difficulty, contextualises life's inevitable suffering and gives us a sense of fulfilment in our own effort. It prevents us from feeling that we could be replaced by an actor who looks kind of like us without anyone noticing. Without meaning – Aristotle calls it telos – the wheels fall off. A sense of meaninglessness is central to feeling clinically depressed, so while it might seem like an abstract and theoretical problem – a fruity, modern malaise – it really isn't. We are experiencing a collective crisis of meaning; the grand narratives we once bought into, and which connected us through shared belief, are no longer cutting it. This is the postmodern reality, and it's a lot of dancing tweens on TikTok and billionaires on testosterone building space shuttles and men past or pushing 80 (and who do or do not have nuclear weapons) sabre rattling on social media. It's a lot of total absurdity without a lot of meaning. READ MORE Logotherapy – the creation of Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl – is unsurprisingly seeing a resurgence lately, given our thirst for meaning. Frankl outlined it most famously in his 1946 book Man's Search for Meaning, where he introduces the 'therapeutic doctrine' he formulated. It's a form of psychotherapy that places pursuit of meaning at the centre of life. We can cope with pretty much anything, Frankl suggests (any 'how'), if we can find meaning in it (if we have a 'why'). Meaning is not given to us from outside, he says, and it can come in many forms. Like the existentialists, Frankl thought that meaning is something we create for ourselves rather than something awaiting us out in the world. Especially when we're struggling, Frankl suggests, we need a reason to navigate our way through whatever life is demanding of us. He's not about endless rumination and self-examination, though, and in an age of tedious self-optimisation and hyper-therapised narcissism, it's little wonder that people are reconnecting with Frankl's suggestion that we consider one question above any other: 'What is life asking of [me]?' [ How absurd: the world as Albert Camus saw it Opens in new window ] French-Algerian philosopher Albert Camus is another thinker who spent most of his career on questions of meaning, but he went another way with it. It makes sense that the destruction and narrative chaos of the second World War spurred these sorts of questions. It was Camus who brought the concept of absurdism into the mainstream. Unlike Frankl and people such as Jean-Paul Sartre , who agreed that there is no objective meaning to life but suggested that we create it, Camus rejected meaning altogether. Our great cause of suffering, he suggested, is our deep desire for meaning, clarity and a sense of purpose in a universe that has no inherent meaning. It offers us no answers. This is the absurdity, Camus says, our primordial desire to make sense of a senseless universe. The absurdity is not about the world being nonsensical, but about its inherent and unresolved contradiction. In our constant desire to make sense of the mayhem. [ We like to romanticise Ireland's past, but too much remembering could be bad for us Opens in new window ] We can make meaning, Frankl says, we can find it, as others suggest, or we can revolt, as Camus would put it. His approach is not about giving in to despair or becoming cynical or turning into the worst Facebook comments section troll you can imagine. It's about permitting the contradiction without trying to resolve it – looking right at the absurdity rather than away from it and being all right with it. We can't make sense of what's going on around us, but we can decide what we think about meaning, and what we're going to do with it.
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
3 Meaningful Reasons Why People Choose Parenthood, By A Psychologist
While parenthood can be challenging, many parents find greater purpose in their choice, according to ... More new research. Here's why. Parenting is no easy feat. It takes years of physical and mental effort and financial means to raise children. Why then, do many people continue to choose to have children if it does not necessarily boost life satisfaction? New research, using data from 30 European countries, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family shows that this decision has more to do with the meaning it contributes to our lives than how happy it makes us. This finding held true in the study, regardless of gender, social and national backgrounds. In my recent interview with the lead authors of the study — Ansgar Hudde and Marita Jacob from the Department of Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Cologne, Germany — it became clear that life satisfaction is not the only outcome worth considering when it comes to parenting. 'Parenthood contributes to meaning for all groups, no matter how intense their parenting is or how challenging their circumstances,' the authors said. It's not as though parenthood cannot be satisfying, but it depends on how demanding the experience is. 'For fathers, on average, parenting is less intense and comes with lower burdens in terms of time, physical and emotional energy than for mothers,' the authors explain, highlighting how gender roles can impact life satisfaction as a parent. Here are three reasons why, despite its challenges, parenthood can enhance parents' meaning in life, according to the study. 1. They Can Focus On A Hopeful Future Parenthood is future-oriented. Parents may have to go through sleepless nights to look after their toddlers, change diapers day in and day out and face daily tantrums, but they're willing to endure these challenges to give their children a good life. Parents gain meaning from the difficulty of their sacrifices, if they feel purposeful. They may be willing to raise someone who can thrive in life by investing significant time, energy and resources in them with the hope of a good outcome. For instance, parents may set aside a savings account for their children's college education, even if they are juggling multiple jobs and trying to cope with daily stress and exhaustion. They may have to endure temporary pain, perhaps cut back on non-essential and even essential spending. But the act in itself carries meaning, so they may still see it as a hopeful sacrifice. Prior research has found that living with children can reduce life satisfaction for individuals with challenging circumstances, such as single parents, those with a lower socioeconomic status or residents of countries lacking supportive policies. Even then, they find a strong sense of meaning in the act of parenting. This suggests that life satisfaction is situational, whereas meaning is tied to future aspirations. 'We would expect that the 'meaning premium' is greatest during the very first period after childbirth, but that some portion remains for life,' the authors noted. There may be times when the responsibilities parents hold weigh heavier than their sense of purpose, but their long-term goal of raising their child appears to remain a steady source of meaning. 2. Parenthood Is Oriented Toward Giving, Not Receiving Life satisfaction is more closely linked to having one's needs met, to one's current well-being and hedonic happiness. In contrast, meaning in life involves having a sense of purpose and recognizing that one's actions contribute to something greater than oneself. Hedonic happiness may come from enjoyable experiences, such as vacations and parties, but meaning in life comes from being able to give back to society, which increases our sense of connection to others, strengthens our sense of self and the values we stand for. It also makes us feel like we are part of something bigger. The latter is the case for parenting. Parents are aware that their children need and depend on them for their emotional and physical needs. This heightens their sense of significance. The bond they have with their children gives them a sense of belonging and emotional connection. For family-oriented people, parenting also aligns with their core identity and values. But is it possible that individuals with a stronger sense of meaning are more likely to become parents in the first place? 'With the data we use — a large, cross-sectional study from many European countries — we cannot entirely rule out that people with a stronger sense of meaning are more likely to become parents in the first place,' the authors said, though they have another ongoing study to test this directly. 3. Other Goals Can Feel More Meaningful As A Result Of Parenting Parents may find additional meaning in goals that aren't necessarily related to parenting. For instance, they may hold onto a job they find repetitive, stressful or uninspiring. While it may not be enjoyable on a day-to-day basis, it can still be deeply meaningful for many parents because of what it represents, rather than what it feels like. Jobs held by individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds often offer more opportunities to find or experience meaning in the workplace. 'People with higher socioeconomic status typically receive greater societal recognition, so they're more likely to have society reflect back that what they do has purpose and meaning,' the authors note. Such individuals may also have the option to quit or take a break from work — an option people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may not have. They may be forced to stick to jobs they are unhappy with. However, if their job helps them provide for their children, it gives them a reason to work. They feel the onus of responsibility and the need to contribute to the financial wellbeing of their family. Childrearing also serves as a buffer against existential anxiety. It keeps parents rethinking their purpose in life, because taking care of their children often becomes their primary purpose. However, parenting is not the only path to seeking meaning in life. The authors suggest that non-parents can also find greater purpose elsewhere, by finding meaningful opportunities in their work, for instance, in caregiving and teaching professions, or from volunteering. 'Such activities could be particularly powerful when they serve people who are especially in need: children from challenging family circumstances, the sick and poor, or people experiencing loneliness. Overall, there are countless ways we can contribute to something beyond ourselves,' the researchers explain. As for parents, they also deserve all the support they can get. While happiness may not be what drives them, it is possible to experience both meaning and happiness in parenthood, should you choose it. Are the challenges of parenthood getting to you? Take this science-backed test to learn more: Parental Burnout Assessment
Forbes
29-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
From Gods To Code: A Brief History Of Human Meaning
How to find purpose in an age where even our thinking and creativity can be outsourced to AI. Fantasy Moon over ocean and mountain ridge, Far-side of the moon,Darkside of the Moon Human beings are wired to seek meaning — a subjective sense that life is coherent, purposeful, and significant (even though, in objective terms, it is none of that). From early cognitive psychologists like Jerome Bruner, who argued that we create meaning through narrative, to modern neuroscientists studying the brain's default mode network, the consensus is clear: Meaning isn't a luxury, but a psychological necessity. Indeed, meaning helps us tolerate uncertainty, make sense of chaos, and stay motivated through suffering. It also helps us make sense of ourselves and develop a sense of identity. Viktor Frankl compellingly illustrated that people can endure almost anything if they believe it has meaning. Referencing his own experiences in a Nazi concentration camp he noted 'Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'. Neurologically, meaning activates areas tied to reward, self-reflection, and emotion, integrating experiences into coherent stories. It's not given to us — we construct it, and often defend it, especially during crises. Cognitive and emotional systems work together to build and sustain these frameworks — through memory, identity, and perceived agency. Empirical studies show people find meaning most often in relationships, purposeful work, personal growth, and even suffering — particularly when it's reframed. While past societies imported meaning from religion, tradition, or social roles, modern individuals must manufacture their own. This makes meaning deeply personal, but also vulnerable to fragmentation and disillusionment. In the age of AI, where work, creativity, and cognition can be outsourced, we risk losing traditional sources of meaning without obvious replacements. With its impressive repertoire of synthetic knowledge, creativity, and intelligence, AI is forcing us to rethink what truly makes us human (in the sense of our unique capabilities and skills), and what it means to be human in an age in which we outsource even our thinking to machines. If machines can perform the tasks that once made us feel useful, valuable, and unique, what's left for us to build a life around? Furthermore, what does it mean to be human if we can be without thinking? In every era, humans have asked some version of the same question: Why am I here, and what is this all for? It's the same existential riddle posed by philosophers and pop culture alike — from Nietzsche to Tony Montana, who, after climbing the capitalist mountain in Scarface, asks what's left beyond the pile of cocaine and paranoia. Or Citizen Kane's dying whisper of 'Rosebud,' a child's sled standing in for a lost, possibly meaningless life. While the human quest of meaning is perennial, the answers have changed as dramatically as our technology, politics, and hairstyles — from gods and rituals to careers and personal brands. As AI begins to take over not just our labor, but our thinking, our creativity, and our productivity, we're left asking whether meaning itself can be outsourced, and found just one click or prompt away. To understand the scale of this moment, it helps to zoom out — way out — and trace the evolution of meaning across time. Below is a brief intellectual history of what humans have lived for, and how those sources of purpose have shifted with each transformation in how we live and work. 1. Mythic & Tribal Meaning (Prehistory – 600 BCE) Slogan: We are one with the gods. In humanity's earliest chapters, meaning was not something you found — it was something you were born into. Life was interpreted through the lens of nature, spirits, and ancestors. The world was enchanted, alive with gods, totems, and unseen forces. Purpose was communal and ritualistic. You belonged to a tribe, you played your part, and the question of individual meaning rarely emerged. The collective mattered more than the self. You knew who you were by knowing where you belonged. Think of it as the original operating system for meaning — closed-source, pre-installed, and immune to customization. Opting out wasn't a philosophical stance; it was a death sentence or, worse, exile. Today, we call it "community." Back then, it was life. 2. Religious & Divine Order (600 BCE – 1500 CE) Slogan: My purpose is God's plan. With the rise of the Axial Age came organized religions that framed human life as a moral journey, guided by divine command. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism all offered grand narratives in which human beings had cosmic significance. Meaning was found in obedience, sacrifice, and spiritual striving. The purpose of life wasn't invented by the individual — it was discovered in scripture. To live meaningfully was to live rightly, according to sacred law. Fulfillment came in service to a higher power. This was the theological equivalent of a franchise model: the rules came from headquarters, your job was to follow the manual, and if things went wrong, it was your fault for not having enough faith — not a flaw in the system. Think less personal startup, more divine bureaucracy: your life had a mission, but the job description was carved in stone. 3. Rationalism & Humanism (1500 – 1800) Slogan: I think, therefore I Enlightenment changed everything. Reason replaced revelation, and individuals became the new arbiters of truth. Thinkers like Descartes, Locke, and Kant argued that humans could construct meaning through intellect, ethics, and personal autonomy. The Renaissance celebrated the dignity of man; science opened new frontiers. Meaning began to shift from divine will to human capability. Life became a quest not to obey, but to understand — and to act morally out of reason, not just faith. Meaning was no longer handed down from the heavens; it was drafted, debated, and footnoted by men in powdered wigs. Humanity became its own mythmaker — the sole author, editor, and sometimes unreliable narrator of significance. It was as if the universe outsourced meaning to us, trusting we'd be rational (or at least confident) enough not to mess it up. 4. Scientific & Industrial Progress (1800 – 1945) Slogan: To work is to live. As revolutions roared and factories rose, human worth became increasingly tied to productivity. The industrial age recast people as workers — gears in the great machine of economic progress. Purpose was found in contribution: building, inventing, conquering, producing. Even philosophies of meaning (Marxism, nationalism, utilitarianism) took on a mechanistic bent. Labor was no longer just a necessity; it became an identity. Your job wasn't just what you did — it was who you were. It was the age when the soul clocked in. Humans became their CVs, and meaning punched a timecard. Fulfillment was measured not in prayers or principles, but in output per hour — a kind of existential capitalism where your worth was your work ethic, and vacation was moral suspicion. In a way, this was the analogue version of the digital revolution or data-driven capitalism. Meaning through the ages 5. Existentialism & Absurdism (1945 – 1980s) Slogan: Life is meaningless — now make it count. The aftermath of two world wars shattered many of the old certainties. God seemed silent, progress suspect. Philosophers like Camus and Sartre embraced the absurd: life has no inherent meaning, so we must create our own. This was the era of freedom and anxiety, where responsibility became the burden of the individual. Meaning was no longer handed down from on high — it was something you assembled from scratch. You were condemned to be free, and what you made of your life was entirely on you. It was as if the universe had ghosted you — no guidance, no purpose, just infinite autonomy and a vague sense that whatever you did next better be meaningful... or at least look good in a memoir. 6. Consumer Identity (1980s – 2000s) Slogan: I shop, therefore I am. As neoliberalism took hold, the market moved into the space once occupied by the sacred and the social. Identity became a product, and meaning was increasingly expressed through what you bought, wore, posted, and owned. Careers replaced work. Brands filled in for belief systems. You didn't just work a job — you crafted a meaningful lifestyle and aspired to becoming a brand. The rise of advertising, credit, and Facebook made meaning feel personal but hollow. Influencers emerged as human brands and sources of meaning. Consumption became performance, and success was measured in likes, logos, and LinkedIn endorsements. Our digital selves begun to subsume our real selves. 7. Wellbeing & Inner Growth (2000s – 2020s) Slogan: Find your truth. As burnout and disillusionment with materialism set in, a new quest began: inward. Meaning shifted from status to self-awareness, from hustle to healing. Mindfulness apps replaced religious rituals. Therapy-speak became a second language. Self-actualization became the new salvation. You were expected not only to work and consume, but to grow, evolve, and become your "authentic self." This era promised meaning through alignment — between who you are, what you do, and how you feel. This era of existential freedom—where meaning must be handcrafted from the raw materials of one's own psyche—was not without cost. As the contemporary philosopher Byung-Chul Han observes, we have transitioned from a society of repression to one of depression. No longer oppressed by external authority, we are instead crushed by the weight of limitless possibility. 'If you can be anything,' Han warns, 'then you must be everything'— a pressure that turns potential into paralysis. In the absence of fixed roles or inherited purpose, freedom becomes a tyrannical demand for self-creation. The individual is now CEO, brand, therapist, and motivational speaker all in one — like a one-person startup permanently pitching to an invisible investor called 'self-worth,' with exhaustion as the only guaranteed return on investment. 8. AI & Automation (2020s – → ) Slogan: I prompt, therefore I am. And now, we arrive at the present moment — a time in which AI, which had been in the making since the 1960s, finally woke up, going mainstream and beginning to absorb not just our labor, but our cognitive and creative functions. AI can now write, draw, analyze, strategize, and even empathize (or at least simulate it well enough to fool us). The very domains where humans once found purpose — problem-solving, innovation, self-expression — are increasingly shared with, or surrendered to, machines. We are no longer just workers or thinkers; we are prompters — directing generative systems that do the work for us. Meaning becomes mediated through interface. If AI can perform our jobs, generate our ideas, write our stories, even express our feelings — where does that leave us? Are we curators of meaning, or passive consumers of it? Can we still find fulfillment in being the prompt engineers of our own existence? Expertise is no longer about knowing the answer to many questions, but asking the right questions; and creativity, well, it is the human leftover to what AI can't do (or doesn't want to). The optimistic account is that our lives will be more fulfilling because all the boring and predictable tasks can be outsourced to AI; the pessimistic account sees us as the digital version of assembly line workers, training large language models on how to automate us, in the huge virtual factory called AI. 'Ctrl + Alt + Purpose: Rebooting Meaning in the Age of AI' Throughout history, every era has rewritten the script of human meaning — from divine decree to industrial purpose, from moral codes to personal brands. We once searched the skies, then the self; now, we consult the algorithm. Each answer reflected the technologies, fears, and fantasies of its time. But today, meaning has become strangely urgent. When machines can paint, write, and diagnose — even simulate empathy — what's left for us to be? If productivity no longer depends on us, why should purpose? Maybe this is the moment meaning finally stops being about output. Maybe our value isn't in what we produce, but in what we notice, nurture, or choose to care about — in the deliberate, non-automatable act of consciousness. Or maybe we'll just scroll past it, distracted by another synthetic dopamine hit. Either way, in a world where everything can be faked — intelligence, emotion, even purpose — the real danger isn't that AI will outthink us. It's that we'll forget the value of meaning altogether.
