If you had to chose between a life of meaning or a life of happiness, which one would you chose? To further clarify the rules, what if you couldn't have both, and you had to chose between one or the other? This is one of those questions that I often ponder late at night, when I'm alone with my thoughts, memories, and reflections.

For example, let me give you an idea of a life of happiness versus a life of meaning.

Happiness: You meet the boy/girl of your dreams and in them you find your perfect soul mate. Everyone morning you wake up knowing you are loved. Their warm and loving affection makes every problem disappear, because they are a light to your soul. You may not have the most exciting job, and may not be making a huge difference in the world, but you're very happy that you've found the person you've been searching for all your life. The only thing that bothers you is that late at night, you wonder of there's something greater you should be doing.

Meaning: At a very young age, you manage to become a marketing prodigy and make a very large amount of money at a very early stage in your career. While continuing to be a financial genius, you invest in ways to help the world. You cure previously incurable diseases, find ways to greatly decrease world poverty, and the world sees you as a hero. The only problem is, you're afraid to let anyone get close to you because you don't know if they really care about you or if they're just after your wealth and influence. Every night, the last thing on your mind before you drift off to sleep is, "Will I be alone forever?"

So, there you have it. Happiness or Meaning? Which one would you chose and why?

(P.S. There is no right answer, I'm just curious to hear what you think.)

In my opinion, a life of meaning. Because to me, a life of meaning, is a life of happiness.

life of happiness!

I have been wondering the same thing myself recently. Mostly because I feel like I'm face to face with it. Sitting in an empty college dorm room (my roommate moved out cause we didn't get along) feeling very lonely, I've been staring that same question in the face.

Without going into a whole bunch of personal detail (which I'm sure no one wants to read anyway) being in college is not a happy experience for me. But it is pursuing a life of meaning. Very often over the past year I have seriously questioned that. I have wanted to give up and run back to where I was happy.

But I know I cannot. I would regret it. For the rest of my life. Not just because it was a missed opportunity, but because I know that it's not what God has asked of me. God has made it very clear that “happy” is not where He wants me to be right now. College, pursuing a life of meaning, is where and what He wants me to be doing. God has my best interests in mind. And I trust Him. Someday, even if it's not in this lifetime, I will be happy.

I think living a life of happiness means something to this world, and I think a life of meaning can cause happiness.

I wish I had a straight-forward answer for this. Being young and optimistic, I want my existance to mean more to the world than the continuation of my DNA. I want to change the world, meanwhile I don't want to be unhappy.

I think ultimately that if I lived a life of meaning I would be happy. Making others happy would make me happy.

Love, I find, is not always the key to happiness.

A life of Happiness because if I finally got something I wanted for a long time, like the one girl in the world who loves me for who I am, that would give my life meaning again. I would have another thing to live for.

i say a life of Hapiness...based on your examples chris...because to me, a life of happiness can be just about anything...but alas, if i go into detail then i will be running into another certain topic on this forum...

Wow... almost a year ago I came across this decision and I had to make a choice about it... it was a hard one. At the time I chose meaning, and I'm still sticking with it. When I made the decision I had felt like I made the wrong one... simply because I wasn't doing it for myself. I was doing it for my family. I didn't want to disappoint them.

The two choices were this, go to college and have a good job afterwards and have enough money to take care of my family (Mom, grandparents, etc.). We're kind of in the lower middle class... and I always worry about what's going to happen to them... my grandma's not getting any younger. she needs to retire, but can't afford to. My Grandpa's getting more and more senile... (aka Alzheimer's he just won't admit to it). And my Mom... she's been through so much in her life already I just want her to live a comfortable life. The happiness for me was this. Don't go to college, move away (I didn't know where nor did I care), and work on my writing. Basically become a bohemian in a way. I'd be incredibly broke, but if I were able to just focus on my writing, I'd be the happiest person in the world. Of course I would never really be able to afford to see my family like ever, and I know that'd kill some of them (I wouldn't really miss them though...). If your wondering why I would move away is because I don't want to mooch off of any of my relatives, I hate asking for things like that.

So at the current moment in time, I still choose meaning... but someday I hope I can have both. I dunno though. Now that I think of the happiness one though it seems kind of idiotic... haha! ^_^

Meaning.
If I've helped even one person to change the way they think about the world we live in. Caused one person to change direction and go against the flow. Made one person question everything, I can die happy.

well for me this is a very hard question. on one hand you have the happieness along with a thought you could have done better. and on the other you have wealth and lonesomeness.

personaly though i would have to stick with the happiness lane.

in todays world yes there is a chance to become something. but things like that are usually very low chance to happeness. i would much rather have the chance to be with a family that loved me. even if it ment not having the finer things in life.

Rather simple questiong for me, I pick Meaning.

If I have meaning, then that supplys enough happyness, I wouldn't nessecarily say that your meaning of, well meaning is what I would go for, but it is sort of fits, not the rich part pretty much, Id probably have a moderate amount of money.

Rethinking my decision, I would like to give myself meaning. I want to stay home and support my family because after the house fire, we lost near everything. I have been helping refill the hole that made in our finances, but I feel there is much more to be done.

On the other hand, I could save up and move to Jacksonville, FL to spend time with my aunts and uncle that I hardly ever get to see.

I guess its a matter of wants vs. needs. Sometimes, they are both one and the same.

Meaning, ya gotta care for other people too.

50% Meaning
50% Happiness

I don't believe I can choose between the two. It's like the yin and the yang, it's all a cycle. My life mission is to make other people happy. When they're happy, I'm happy. I've always wanted to make an impression on the world. An impression that will last longer than I live. I've always wanted to be in the history books. I wanna do something that people will hear about for a long time once I'm gone.

Those are my 2 philosphies so I choosing meaning or happiness is choosing between 2 sides of me, which I can't do.

Since I live under the theory that world was perfect before someone decided to "make a difference", I have to choose happiness. I'm not saying that either is right or wrong. Just my own way .