I would generally agree with your observation. However, if in the aphorism we take the term "meaning" to refer to the meaning that we ascribe to ourselves, our life, our identity, our role within the cosmos, I would argue that the use of "always" is the rare exception that proves the rule.

Meaning is always subjective, but that does not make it invalid.

@rcandlish I don't believe he is suggesting meaning is invalid. He's suggesting meaning is not required to be harmonious. We are not sure why it would be.

A lot of things we ascribe as knowledge, are no more than feelings. A sense of chaos is something we feel, not something we know. This is the defining principle behind the concept of analogy.

@rcandlish If that is the case for chaos, is it not the case for meaning itself?

@greyeyed123 It could well be so, were it not for the gravitas that is the wake of meaning ascribed.

@rcandlish Chaos has gravitas.

@greyeyed123 If we take "chaos" in the specialized sense of mathematical theory, where chaos is the study of the point at which organized systems fail. For instance, the number of vehicles approaching the different junctions of a roundabout at the same time. When vehicles are few, here in England the practice of giving way to vehicles approaching on the right, works fine. Give way then move on. But when traffic is intense, the roundabout system fails because vehicles approaching from the right never stops. Hence the need to introduce traffic lights at busy roundabout junctions. The system breaks under pressure, hence the need to introduce a valve. In this sense chaos has gravitas.

Chaos as used in everyday language is an evaluative term based on feeling, and hence is analogous.

@rcandlish You said there is a gravitas in the wake of meaning ascribed. But there is gravitas in the wake of chaos ascribed as well. In whatever sense you were using "meaning", chaos fits perfectly well there also. Why do you think meaning must be harmonious?

@greyeyed123 Meaning is harmonious because we have a sense of Self, Even though the latest cognitive studies would suggest that this notion of Self is nothing but a pointillistic impression. However from a holistic phenomenological perspective [and this is the context within which all our experience and reasoning takes place] the sense of self is the fulcrum of all identity, whether intensive (i.e., ego) or extensive our practical knowledge of the external world (including other egos and things).

If we limit the sense of meaning to the concept of personal value, as in the idea of the meaning of life, I think the aphorism holds and is water-tight. If however, you see otherwise, I remain grateful for your sharing of your thoughts.

@rcandlish Why do you see it as water tight? Plenty of people have disordered personalities, thoughts, and views of the world around them. Plenty of people living in societies big and small that are dysfunctional in the extreme, and in no way harmonious. I can think of numerous examples where "harmonious" would not apply in any context without changing the basic meaning of "harmonious" to simply existent.

It's a good thing that we can still learn something new every day!

I agree!
But TRUTH and MEANING are not necessarily equivalent entities/expressions.