Crisis of Meaning

Crisis of Meaning In recent decades, the American Dream has been replaced by consumerism, gluttony, and multiple drug epidemics. Yes, these troubles are undeniably real, but perhaps they are symptoms of a larger problem. Maybe were buying nonessentials because were looking for something weve lost. Maybe were overeating because were trying to fill a void. Maybe we dont have an opioid crisis so much as we have a crisis of meaning. To find meaning is to find something that fulfills us, that propels us forward during the finite time we have on Earth. Hoarding, gourmandism, and substance abuse do the opposite: these addictions drag us in a direction we don’t want to travel. The antidote, then, isnt to simply abstain from everything. Abstinence alone leaves a void. Rather, we must walk toward the activities that provide purpose in our daily livesâ€"creativity, community, contributionâ€"to walk away from our vices. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.