Nathanael Garrett Novosel, April 12 2023

What You Need in a Meaning of Life Book

There are a lot of books out there on the meaning of life and your existence in this universe. Some are focused on the religious or the spiritual, while others are focused on the philosophical or the ethical. Of course, there is only one that I know of that worked back from evolutionary biology and psychology to conclude the human drivers of meaning: The Meaning of Life: A guide to finding your life’s purpose.

But regardless of which angle you choose, there are a certain set of things that you will likely be looking for to find that the book resonates with you. After reading many of these kinds of books (and writing one), I can tell you what to look (out) for in these books. Specifically, I want you to know what you can or will find so you can both understand yourself and understand what these books are trying to accomplish.

Let’s take a look at the common components of these kinds of books that most will discuss:

So as you search for a book to reach or begin to look for answers to your questions, don’t forget about these components. The obvious takeaway is to make sure that you find these attributes in the book you choose, but my main goal of writing this post is for you to know that books of this nature are actively including these components in how they present the information to you. I can’t speak to the intention of any of the writers of those texts, but just be careful that they are often (if not usually or always) mixing the goals they recommend, the ethics they state, how live began, and their guidance to you. Even if they have positive intent, they might still believe firmly that you need all of what they convey to be successful or not realize that they are pushing their ethics onto you when they give advice. But, of course, if they have intent to get you to their way of thinking, then they will suggest certain behaviors that might not be best for you but are based on how they want you to view the world.

Best of luck on your search. Make sure to get the guidance you need and be wary of anything that a person or book might recommend for you that isn’t right for you (even if it’s a good recommendation for most people). My only advice to you on that front is that if the person or book is recommending that you continue growing into the best version of yourself, their advice can’t be all bad.

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Nathanael Garrett Novosel

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