Meaning Making

Is meaning something you create or something you find?​​

Do you approach meaning making via psychology, theology, philosophy, personal experience, religious instruction or a combination of these and other influences?

Some would argue that our scientific advances are largely driven by human's innate drive to construct meaning via understanding the universe as a cohesive system. Would you agree with this? Are searches for meaning in science and religion in any way compatible with each other?

Making meaning on a personal level is associated with finding identity. What shapes your personal sense of identity (experiences, family, ethnic and religious tradition, political affiliation, intellectual interests, cultural preferences, philosophical ideas etc)?

When making meaning personally, do you tend toward more of a closed, dogmatic structure or do you pull pieces from different and even contrasting sources in a sort of syncretism?

How do you handle other people making different meaning than you out of experiences you share with them?

How do you balance holding onto what is most meaningful to you when that meaning is opposed by others?

Where have you most actively opposed meaning other people have created? How do you approach this?

How do the teachings of Jesus intersect with your personal sense of meaning?

Can universal meaning be agreed upon, discovered, or empirically established?