The mid 20th century existentialists came to the conclusion that while life may not have an intrinsic meaning that it doesn't stop people from having a subjective, personal, and self-created meaning.
A bit earlier, Nietzsche, in The Gay Science and Thus Spoke Zarathustra conceived as Life as a work of art - the conscious and deliberate shaping of one's life with creativity, style, and intention.
Surely there are other ways of grappling with the loss of meaning, but we aren't completely on our own. Even if we have to make our own meaning, believing that's an option is often the most difficult step.
Of course, no one has to make their life meaningful, but that takes us back to the beginning. No one else is going to do it for us. Without meaning, all we have left is despair.
Deaths of despair?
The mid 20th century existentialists came to the conclusion that while life may not have an intrinsic meaning that it doesn't stop people from having a subjective, personal, and self-created meaning.
A bit earlier, Nietzsche, in The Gay Science and Thus Spoke Zarathustra conceived as Life as a work of art - the conscious and deliberate shaping of one's life with creativity, style, and intention.
Surely there are other ways of grappling with the loss of meaning, but we aren't completely on our own. Even if we have to make our own meaning, believing that's an option is often the most difficult step.
Of course, no one has to make their life meaningful, but that takes us back to the beginning. No one else is going to do it for us. Without meaning, all we have left is despair.