The Meaning of Life – Between Tradition, Crisis, and Self-Determination

For a long time, the meaning of life in many societies was defined by culture, religion, or community. For those who could identify with these expectations, it offered a simple and comprehensible solution. People listened to their mothers, priests, or other (spiritual) authorities—and found orientation and often happiness in doing so. Especially those who are inclined to believe in overarching ideas find it easy to integrate into such systems of meaning. In the Christian-influenced Western world, this often meant: getting married, signing a building savings contract, having children, working hard, not complaining, performing well—and much more. Happiness could arise along the way, but it wasn’t guaranteed.

Today, both democratic and authoritarian societies that still cling to such models of meaning are increasingly under pressure. Global megatrends such as the climate crisis, the limits of growth, multiculturalism, and existential uncertainty are pushing especially democratic systems to their limits. It’s not just the nostalgic or the visionaries who are struggling with the meaning of life—now the societal center is beginning to question it too. These self-inflicted crises of meaning are bringing the democratic pressure cooker to a boil. Those who are frequently told to “be reasonable” may develop a rather distant relationship with reason. And those who notice that truths seem to depend on one’s position in a multicultural society may get the impression that everyone constructs their own reality according to their beliefs.

This is not a new phenomenon. Since the Catholic Church’s conflict with Galileo, skepticism toward observation techniques and their ability to show the world “as it is” has been a popular strategy to immunize one’s own beliefs against competing worldviews. As early as antiquity, Plato’s idealism laid the foundation for such immunization through divine ideals and their interpretable shadows. Today, it is postmodern thinkers who, with their media and communication theories, challenge the objectivity of truth, reason, and our methods of observation.

Some people, therefore, no longer seek the meaning of life, but rather meaning in life. This is a more demanding pursuit. It’s not just about making your own decisions, but also about taking responsibility—for yourself, for others, and for your own path. It can take time, is rarely easy, and always involves effort. But for those who repeatedly stumble into crises because they don’t fit into predefined molds, it may be time to consider shaping their own meaning in life. That’s where we come in—not to replace one old meaning with a new one, but to offer guidance.

Our credo is: Help yourself—and not only will God help you, but we will too. The first step is always making decisions. The most difficult ones we call “context-forming decisions,” because they permanently shape the structure of your life. These include starting an education, choosing a career, or founding a family. But also losses—of a job, of important people, or of a partner—can fundamentally change your life. In such moments, we can’t just continue as before. We must realign our lives and find new, meaningful tasks. Often, a crisis of meaning precedes this realignment.

Another challenge for those seeking meaning in life is that many social, cultural, artistic, and humanities disciplines still believe they must normatively influence personal decisions—because they see this influence as inherent to their nature. Under the guise of scientific authority, they present theories that are, upon closer inspection, merely alternative ideals or belief-immunization strategies. They don’t offer teachings that empower you to decide for yourself, but instead try to steer your choices.

Our approach is different: You don’t have to reinvent your entire worldview. You can strip existing theories of their normative influence and transform them into technological teachings. Experience shows that there are often significant gaps—especially when no one has cared to develop the alternatives you’re looking for. This explains why it’s so difficult to fill your life with personal meaning—but it also reveals realistic paths that offer orientation without interference.

Our guide for thoughtful avant-gardists presents such paths in the form of teachings—and you decide which ones to follow. It’s not an easy path, but it’s the easiest we can offer if we want to ensure that you make your own decisions. Our way of providing accessible teachings in science, society, culture, art, communication, and media is through art, photography, film, and our theatrum mundi 42. We are not against theories—we aim to transform them into teachings.

We would like to give you a few recommendations to help you on your way!

Constructive Everyday Experiments and Self-Experience Instead of Language Games, Deconstruction, or Other (Postmodern) Methods

When reflecting on the meaning of your life, you don’t need complex language games or abstract theories. Much more helpful can be small, constructive experiments in your everyday life—experiences that help you discover what truly resonates with you.

Many theoretical methods—including postmodern ones like deconstruction—tend to hide idealizations. They often suggest that there is one “correct” perspective or the “best” method for everyone. But life is diverse, and what feels meaningful to one person may feel empty or irrelevant to another.

A simple way to begin self-reflection is to pay attention to the language we use. Words like painting techniques, love techniques, social techniques, or combat techniques show that there are many ways to do something—and that the right approach often depends on the person, the goal, and the context. It’s not about “the one truth,” but about variety, fit, and personal resonance.

Now try replacing the word “techniques” with “methods,” “methodology,” or “the method.” You might notice a shift in tone: “Methods” often sound more universal, even normative—as if there were one ideal path for everyone. This kind of idealization often goes unquestioned. Instead of exploring alternatives, people tend to search for the “best” method for all.

But why not try what works for you? Observe yourself in everyday situations. Which actions feel right? Which conversations energize you? Which activities make you forget time and self-doubt?

In this way, self-reflection becomes a living process—open, experience-based, and uniquely tailored to you.

Develop Your Own Reasoning for Your Decisions – Instead of Simply Adopting a General Notion of Reason

The path to a self-determined life is often filled with subtle obstacles—many of them placed in our way by others with the best of intentions.

George Bernard Shaw once said: “The reasonable person adapts to the world.” But what exactly are reasonable people adapting to?

In authoritarian systems—such as monarchies, feudal states, or dictatorships—being “reasonable” often means conforming to a predefined meaning of life. In such contexts, quickly recognizing and adapting to that meaning can even be essential for survival.

In a democracy, however, the meaning of life is not centrally prescribed. It may be shaped by society, a religious community, or a shared way of life—but it is not the same for everyone. This raises a new question for reasonable individuals: Which meaning should they adapt to, when there are many?

Those who choose to live their lives by their own strength and on their own terms must engage with questions that are often irrelevant to those who live according to the principles of a culture where meaning is collectively defined—whether that culture is postmodern, mystical, Catholic, Islamic, or otherwise.

But those who don’t take the easy way out begin to develop their own task-related criteria—ways of comparing different solutions without bias. Through this process, they learn what their own standards are and how their personal reasoning, which guides their decision-making, is shaped.

This kind of reasoning is not arbitrary. It is grounded in reality—tied to what works, what matters, and what is true. And those who are honest with themselves learn to judge truth objectively in relation to their own desires.

It’s not an easy path—but it is one that leads to genuine freedom.

Truth Instead of Losing Touch with Reality

Anyone who wants to navigate the world needs a reliable compass—and that compass is truth. Not just any truth, but one that can be measured against reality. Only those who are willing to engage with the world as it is can maintain a lasting connection to it.

In a time when subjective truths and so-called “alternative facts” are becoming louder, the risk of getting lost in illusions increases for everyone. When we start inventing our own reality or only believing what suits us, we may end up—figuratively speaking—believing once again that the sun revolves around the Earth.

Truth doesn’t mean knowing everything. But it does mean staying open to what can be verified—to what holds up, even when it’s uncomfortable. Those who rely on objective truth protect themselves from self-deception and remain capable of action—even in complex or contradictory situations.

Truth is not dogma; it’s a mindset. It requires courage, honesty, and a willingness to question oneself. But it offers clarity—and with it, orientation in a world that is constantly changing.

Meditative Art Instead of Philosophical Discourse

When things get philosophical, they often become abstract, complicated—or simply boring. The big questions of life can lose their vitality when they are only discussed in theoretical terms.

Meditative art offers a different way to approach these questions—quieter, more personal, more immediate. It can spark interest, focus attention, inspire reflection, or lead to meaningful conversations—without being didactic.

What makes meditative art special is that it can be made from the very fabric of your own life. When it centers on the themes that play a major role in your life—love, children, work, passions, health, turning points, important decisions—it becomes a mirror of your inner world.

Instead of discussing the meaning of life, you can use art to create and curate your own meditative spaces—with colors, shapes, sounds, or words. Meditative art invites you to meet yourself without needing to explain. It creates spaces where meaning is not just thought, but felt.

Give it a try—to encounter yourself in a new way.

Epistemological Teachings Instead of Theories

Epistemological teachings are not epistemological theories. Epistemological teachings have a technological background and create possibilities. Theories, on the other hand, exert idealizing influence in the name of science on the selection of supposedly correct possibilities for everyone. The disciples of such influence can be recognized by their names: art theory, cultural theory, media theory, or science theory. They aim to shape how these fields should ideally function. However, theories that address areas where people must make decisions reach their limits in democracies. Personal answers to existential questions cannot be generalized without loss—especially not across many individuals. In a world full of theories, models, and concepts, we need more than just clever thoughts—we need orientation. Yet many theories from art, culture, media, or science blur the line between orientation and influence. But in a vibrant democracy, where people make decisions freely and responsibly, questions of life cannot be forced into universal formulas or answered uniformly in the name of science. What we need are not abstract theories, but epistemological teachings that help us find our own answers—individual, practical, and meaningful.

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From Theory to Epistemological Teachings

Social science theories often show how we should ideally use our freedom, but in doing so, they overstep the boundaries of personal decision-making and further restrict the scope of choices, even where ethically equivalent alternatives exist. This creates socio-technical gaps in the solution space, offering little guidance for those who wish to live differently. We must fill these gaps with teachings of insight that provide orientation in all essential questions of life. They help us:

• structure the problem space of our self-chosen tasks,
• develop solution-neutral criteria for comparing alternatives,
• discover creative solutions within the solution space,
• and ultimately decide and act according to our own sense of meaning.

This work is demanding—but it is the key to a self-determined life. Only those who engage with the central questions of their lives can find their own meaning. It is the self-imposed tasks that give our lives significance.

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Two by Two Paths

Because every person is different, we offer two distinct approaches to the art of living—one avant-garde and one pragmatic—depending on what you are currently seeking:

Guidance for Clever Avant-Gardists – with Epistemological Teachings as Signposts:

• An Epistemology of Civilization: City of Reason
• An Epistemology of Insight: What is Truth, Reason, and Reality?
• An Epistemology of Making: What is Architecture, Construction, and Implementation?
• An Epistemology of Life, Decision, and Action: What is Spirit, Art, and Culture?
• An Epistemology of the Sacred: My Christian Testament

Orientation for Pragmatic Life Artists – with Epistemological Teachings as a Compass for Practice:

• Leadership & Navigation: Orientation in Everyday Life
• Learning & Development: Personal Growth in Work and Private Life
• Living Spaces & Well-being: Health, Connection to Nature, Relaxation, …
• Love & Relationships: Consciously Shaping Relationships
• Life & Death: Consciously Experiencing One’s Own Existence

For all friends of the world stage, both paths are also available in metalogue form.