I, for one, would not find life to be remotely boring due to being free of pain or sorrow. In fact it would be considerably more interesting. I think the notion that you can't appreciate good without contrast to bad is a failure of imagination. You can still appreciate more good relative to less good.

That said ... it is what it is, and you're correct, we all define our own meaning in our own ways.

To me, life simply IS. To search for some overarching meaning is a fool's errand. It's just a series of things happening. Some you will like, some you will not. Either way it's not personal or directed.

I tend to see my objectives more in terms of finding and maximizing value. If you have enough value in your life (and/or remove enough negative value), you wake up one day feeling like it's meaningful and purposeful. It is still up to you to decide what you value, and how.

Personally I value curiosity, intelligence and rationality, as well as helping others have better outcomes in those and related areas. What's left of my life force goes into that. It is sufficient.

About sums it up!

The meaning of life is to be decided by the one living it. The purpose of life is to accelerate entropy.

I get the most reward from doing work that helps other people. That's why I got a Master of Public Administration degree instead of an MBA. I directed nonprofit organizations.

Since 2006, I have volunteered as a college mentor at the high school. I help low income, first generation students write essays for college and scholarship applications. One of my best success stories is Brenda who won $269,455 in scholarships in 2016. A sophomore at Wesleyan University, CT, Brenda is studying to become a medical doctor and pathologist. She wants to cure diseases.

These kids are the first person from their family to graduate from high school and go to college.

Volunteering, being a mother and hiking give tremendous meaning to my life.

In 2019, I took three young women I previously mentored on a day hike in Icicle Gorge, WA. From left: Tammy, a Vietnamese immigrant, is studying to be a neurosurgeon; me; Elisabet is in medical school to become a pediatrician; and Teresa is an accountant and community leader.

Being a college mentor is the most rewarding volunteer work I have ever done.

Being able to ponder the question of "what is the meaning of life" is a luxury of the few. The average individual has little time for meandering the posits and postulizations of the scholars. The demands of putting together a living day to day occupies their waking thoughts. When they do take the time it usually involves giving over their conscious thoughts to a religion to save them.from the uncomfortable state of unknowing and the unpredictability of their future. Philosophizing is the realm of the more fortunate.

I started reading Kant a few months ago and it became obvious really quick that he couldn’t be understood without some knowledge of the guys he was responding to. All these guys are trying to figure out the meaning of life. None of them figured it out. I’m inclined to think the meaning of life is trying to figure out the meaning of life. Socrates thought that was everything. Jesus, who I don’t think was a real person, taught love was the meaning of life. Even if Jesus is fictional, it’s a fine way to think while we work out the details.

It's been said, "Philosophy doesn't answer questions, but questions the answers." So if your looking for an answer from philosophy, then think again.

I just asked Alexa what the meaning of life is and she said "The meaning of life is a matter of perspective. A good approximation is 42".