An Argument for Meaning

7 min readJun 8, 2025

So I suppose it is time for me to articulate what I would declare an absolute necessity unto our existence as human beings. The prompt here was found by a young lady by the name of Ari, whom declares that she hesitates, nay, PROCLAIMS that she will not bring any children into this world as a mother. The rationale here is as follows; why would you bring children into this world fully knowing that the world in question by all appearances is going to hell in a hand basket? Well I shall respond, as is my duty, but first a glance at the worry in question. A valid concern indeed, the world cannot possibly be suitable for newborns, it is hardly suitable for modern adult animals! Why? Well of course because humanities fallen nature, we cannot do anything without further encouraging a continuous degradation of culture and sociological responsibility… right? Wrong! To say this is to say that humanity is doomed, doomed you say? But how! I can take all but a proper glance out of haphazard unscrupulous observation and still rightfully deduce MEANING. “But what does meaning have to do with it Kaden? The worry here is the CURRENT world, not meaning!”. A brilliant point to bring up my friend, but oh meaning! If you say by action and choice that this existence is doomed, then you attempt at a highway robbery of its MEANING, which I would say is a contradiction. Now it is only a contradiction because of a few things, beginning with our dear friend and comical cynic, Descartes! Mr. Descartes would say, and rightfully so, “I think, therefore I am…”, a rather ominous saying, not to be confused with “I drink, therefore I am”, but enough with the puns! Now the important take away here is that as a rule of thumb, I can hardly be certain about anything (the working proof for FAITH mind you!), and Descartes knew this on his life long journey to find that which is INDUBITABLE. At the end of it all, all he could be certain of was that he indeed had thoughts, and those were clear as day! So because he could think he could be certain that at least his thoughts existed, and therefore he did as well (in high probability at least, ha!). Now we see this funny statement , that you think (try it!), and “therefore” you ARE! So now that we have reason telling us we EXIST, we can say WE EXIST (say it, what fun!). We now must make several observations. First of all, you are not necessary, and yet you exist. Well without a doubt, you simply existing tells me that you have meaning. You do not have to be, and yet you most certainly BE (think!). The reason why you can’t be necessary, is because your existence is dependent on another source, as is all of existence (loosely). Now I mentioned that we have a two-part analysis of this “I think therefore I am” idea. This would be both MEANING and PURPOSE. Meaning is a mystery, but incredibly potent, but purpose can be chased after. When you exist, you have a particular way you were raised doing things. Perhaps you shouldn’t smoke, it’s bad for you! And maybe you shouldn’t at all put your hand down the garbage disposal (even for science!), for these are taught to be not so good for you as a human. What these are getting at is that you have a NATURE, or a way you should be treated. Now the funny thing is, we emulate these properties into things that we invent, without thinking too hard on it. You put oil in the engine to keep it lubricated which in turn reduces friction, which aids in the mechanics in play to make sure it OPERATES AS IT SHOULD. A brilliant man by the name of Paley would tell you the tale of the man who walks by both a rock and a pocket watch, unaware that what they both INTIMATELY have in common is DESIGN. Now why would you design a pocket watch for anything but what a pocket watch ought to do? Well does it have a purpose? Do you get it now? EXCELLENT, for now the thought for you is to think on these two words; TELOS, or the aim, and ONTOS, or being. These two words have adjacent studies, the study of the PURPOSE of a thing, and the study of the NATURE of a thing, and through these things you are armed to determine (loosely) the VALUE and MEANING of a thing. Back to that contradiction I mentioned earlier. First, can a Fig be both a Bowl, and a Tool at the EXACT same moment in time? Your thoughts may include “Are you mad?”, “ of course not!”, and “doubtful I’m sure…”. And yes you would be correct, for the question gets at what is called an INTRINSIC IMPOSSIBILITY, or something that is impossible in any way shape or form, as it does not align with reality (or how things ought to work, as according to their nature, and design). You could call this simply a contradiction. Now, given the thoughts you now have to chew on, does a thing that clearly exists, maintaining all properties of design, meaning, and purpose… does it make sense for that thing to be thrown in the trash, as if It never had no use in the first place? OF COURSE NOT AND CONFOUND THE NOTION, you would be outraged, what a WASTE of a so clearly USEFUL THING. Humanity is the same, for we have meaning, and yet by all observation, we are doomed for the wastebasket as if it never all really mattered. What a sad notion indeed, and so clearly a SIMPLE CONTRADICTION. If a thing so clearly has meaning, but is doomed to pass away, it is robbed of all mean. Now, back to the design. If a thing maintains certain variables it is affected by, time primarily, it is finite. This essentially states that is has both a beginning, and an end. Now I am not arguing for humanity having NO END, as per this existence, it should; I am arguing agains a WASTEFUL vs a VIRTUOUS end. If I make a table, and that table lasts decades and possesses the memories of several Swift family reunions meals consumed upon it, and it eventually erodes away, it did what a table was meant to do, and it did it VERY WELL. If a table is found to last but a month before its inevitable failure , I would say this table did not do what it was meant to do, much less WELL. If humanity maintains a design, then we ought to do what were made to do WELL, before this world fades away so that it is a VIRTUOUS end, and not a WASTEFUL one. Since we so clearly have time, for even now the lines in your furrowed brow are becoming wrinkles, a glory only age can bring- We have a begging and an end, the beginning in question must be where our design comes from, and given the lawn of entropy (everything unwinds from its origin), given time we fall further away from that good and orderly origin. So almost from the start, we seem to be thrown into this game of passing time and agin way, but to what ends? By this understanding, we ARE doomed. “But you said otherwise, Kaden!”, I am aware! In this, we have the final point to be made, an ultimatum of sorts. If we have an origin, a good and orderly one, something must save us, there must be something that happens and allows us to be redeemed… BACK to our point of beginning, or at least to something of the same sort. Now you are free to come to your own conclusion, in fact I challenge you to tell me what that is- but as for me I find my answer in this timeless novel called the Bible, one that almost seems like reality, the more you live the examined life. For within those pages, you find a man who did it all, under the claim that aligns PERFECTLY with this line of reason, for through him ALONE, all is made anew, and all is redeemed unto its good and orderly origin. So now, if you are so inclined, you can observe that to believe in this might be a bit more REASONABLE, indeed it does connect some dots, does it not? Note that I cannot prove this, in a reality where I know faith exists, absolute certainty cannot! Indeed the world is mostly empty space given its subatomic composition, and yet you trust that the floor will sustain your weight and this here letter will not fall through your finger tips. In this, It is a challenge to think, and then ask yourself the final question “ How then shall I live?”, for every choice you make must have consequences, good and bad, as in this life of limited quantity (alas we have a limited amount of time and thus a limited amount of everything else!), and what you do affects everything about you, so think carefully, and choose wisely! If this letter convinces you of more hope (for you must have faith, and the Bible has good rationale on that!) Romans 5:3–5… then perhaps the fear of children in this world is but a distraction from what you ought to do… perhaps the responsibility is not to have no children, but to add to society in a way that benefits the whole. After all, are we not to be fruitful? Is that not part of our Telos? You decide.