Question... This essay is the start of a larger exploration and I invite feedback. What resonates (or not)? What questions does it raise? And what are other ways to explore?
My personal, comprehensive solution for all this is a deep personal faith in a Restored Gospel that I came by through dedicated search, study, and prayer. But obviously "religion is the answer, actually" isn't really the most hip thing to say, I get it lol
Something that stood out to me a bit is your metaphor around exploration and maps. And, the setup had you talk about the "Old World" in very "map-like" ways, like we were handed a map with some "answers" filled in.
I've been reading The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist, and he adds a new layer to the mapping metaphor that has felt fruitful for me.
As I understand it so far, I (and more broadly, western society) have grown up accustomed to "reading a map" to navigate life, and implicitly derive meaning. My mind spends its time paying attention to using abstracted, analytical, and ultimately simplified models of the world. Squiggly lines for ocean, upside down Vs for mountains, stick figures for communities... All very useful in surviving the demands of the world, but a simplified reprojection of nuanced reality. McGilchrist argues we largely miss the *terrain* that the map is representing - the verdant colors of a valley, the billows of each snowy peak; the uniqueness of each person we encounter. We rarely look up from our map and pay attention to the broader context of lived reality - to notice the details elided from our mapped models. We easily lose our bearing if we try to live purely without the map, but also we become hollow if we do not appreciate the terrain.
So, I am trying to re-learn how to immerse in the terrain, and put the map in my pocket a bit more often - perhaps I will learn what that form of attention can teach me. I'm not tearing up my old maps, but instead trying to integrate two different forms of attention together, and I hear that meaning can alchemize from that - through cocreating a map and a terrain together.
If you haven't heard of the book, I encourage you to check it out!
I especially like your point: "We rarely look up from our map and pay attention to the broader context of lived reality." That lands deeply with me, because as you said, we've been so conditioned in one way of thinking that we're unable to understand the world at a deeper level.
I've had that McGilchrist book in my "to read" list for awhile now, but this is a great reminder to check it out. Sounds like right up my alley.
Great that you equated McGilchrist and “don’t confuse the map with terrain” and this column Matt. A really good intellectual leap. It’s worth noting that over-reliance on the left hemisphere of the brain is the root cause of this confusion, and working to return the right hemisphere to its “master” status is the solution. Easier said than done in these strange days of zero-sum status games. Nobody said being an existential explorer was for the faint of heart though.
Great thought provoking series so far, thank you! I've long thought about the demise of religion, and the increase in a 'meaning crisis' and whether they are correlated. I myself am not a practicisng religious person, but I'd like to think myself as a cultural Christian as well as a moral Christian. Probably more aligned to the Stoic virtues, which are actually really similar to the Christian ones anyway (and predates it). Even the famous atheist Richard Dawkins has recently come out as a cultural Christian recently!
I came across a quote yesterday that fits quite nicely from GK Chesterton: "when people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing, they believe in anything"
Very interesting section about the actions and practices you can take to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and the almost steelman your view of meaning.
Your "cultural Christian" commentary is spot on. Funny that Dawkins said that, but good on him for recognizing the hidden scripts that shape our lives. Christian morality and values are heavily embedded into the Western world, even for people who think of themselves as atheist. Although part of me wonders if, in the breakdown of religion, over time we lose that foundation too.
It's one reason why Nietzsche's "Genealogy of Morals" was so groundbreaking to me... it shocked me out of the belief that one set of values were absolute versus a product of the times. It's hard to see these beliefs, even when we live them out every day.
P.S. I totally could have used the Chesterton's quote for my essay!
Rick, you described every thought I have been contemplating, since I left my own “old world” in my 50s; you also described every aspect of the discussion I have been having with my son, who is barely in his 30s and already felt the void and emptiness of what’s becoming of his “old world” …
If there is an Explorers Community, I’d gladly join, as I am sure many (more and younger than we realize) out there are exploring the big “Finding Meaning” new world on their own.
I always remind myself that the map is not the territory, even if that's our means to experience life. And I also acknowledge that meaning is created, not something you conveniently search and find out there. Our relentless drive for certainty and meaning is ironically the cause of our existential suffering.
Are we the only species suffering from that, post-survival? If you have a pet, look at them. They don't have to worry about their survival, but they are surely not experiencing an existential crisis or pondering about meaning. They go about with their daily life. Sleep, play, exploring their surroundings.
Always present in the moment, always curious. Everyday is a new day to savor. Perhaps fulfilment can be unlocked in the simplest of things.
I love the thought experiment exercise of asking "what if the thing that is central to your identity disappeared?"
I think in my case post letting go of a career ambition, loss.
With that loss, there's also a grieving period needed while doing the exploring. During that period, you feel pulled by old identities and old motivations. This can show up in sunk cost fallacy, prior commitments and structures we've built for that old identity (group, education, beliefs, etc.)
Dismantling all that is work but now i'm able to start from a clean slate. I still feel pulled back by an old identity (i have tabs open to apply to consulting firms out of a need) but I also know that's not really what I want.
I'm thinking of writing an essay "What if you could never work again?" as a thought experiment. But for a parent, it could be "What if you lost your child?". Or the religious, "what if you realized your religion was untrue?"
I think you are on the right track. And it's wise to note there is a grieving period before the exploring. Even if work will always be part of your identity, you can notice it's place now and try to shift to its right fit, and be proactive in supplementing with other sources of meaning.
Thanks everyone, for reading!
Question... This essay is the start of a larger exploration and I invite feedback. What resonates (or not)? What questions does it raise? And what are other ways to explore?
I think the advice on how to do exploration based on your current situation was most useful to me
My personal, comprehensive solution for all this is a deep personal faith in a Restored Gospel that I came by through dedicated search, study, and prayer. But obviously "religion is the answer, actually" isn't really the most hip thing to say, I get it lol
It could be the answer...
Thanks for the essay Rick :)
Something that stood out to me a bit is your metaphor around exploration and maps. And, the setup had you talk about the "Old World" in very "map-like" ways, like we were handed a map with some "answers" filled in.
I've been reading The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist, and he adds a new layer to the mapping metaphor that has felt fruitful for me.
As I understand it so far, I (and more broadly, western society) have grown up accustomed to "reading a map" to navigate life, and implicitly derive meaning. My mind spends its time paying attention to using abstracted, analytical, and ultimately simplified models of the world. Squiggly lines for ocean, upside down Vs for mountains, stick figures for communities... All very useful in surviving the demands of the world, but a simplified reprojection of nuanced reality. McGilchrist argues we largely miss the *terrain* that the map is representing - the verdant colors of a valley, the billows of each snowy peak; the uniqueness of each person we encounter. We rarely look up from our map and pay attention to the broader context of lived reality - to notice the details elided from our mapped models. We easily lose our bearing if we try to live purely without the map, but also we become hollow if we do not appreciate the terrain.
So, I am trying to re-learn how to immerse in the terrain, and put the map in my pocket a bit more often - perhaps I will learn what that form of attention can teach me. I'm not tearing up my old maps, but instead trying to integrate two different forms of attention together, and I hear that meaning can alchemize from that - through cocreating a map and a terrain together.
If you haven't heard of the book, I encourage you to check it out!
This is an elite comment!
I especially like your point: "We rarely look up from our map and pay attention to the broader context of lived reality." That lands deeply with me, because as you said, we've been so conditioned in one way of thinking that we're unable to understand the world at a deeper level.
I've had that McGilchrist book in my "to read" list for awhile now, but this is a great reminder to check it out. Sounds like right up my alley.
Great that you equated McGilchrist and “don’t confuse the map with terrain” and this column Matt. A really good intellectual leap. It’s worth noting that over-reliance on the left hemisphere of the brain is the root cause of this confusion, and working to return the right hemisphere to its “master” status is the solution. Easier said than done in these strange days of zero-sum status games. Nobody said being an existential explorer was for the faint of heart though.
Great thought provoking series so far, thank you! I've long thought about the demise of religion, and the increase in a 'meaning crisis' and whether they are correlated. I myself am not a practicisng religious person, but I'd like to think myself as a cultural Christian as well as a moral Christian. Probably more aligned to the Stoic virtues, which are actually really similar to the Christian ones anyway (and predates it). Even the famous atheist Richard Dawkins has recently come out as a cultural Christian recently!
I came across a quote yesterday that fits quite nicely from GK Chesterton: "when people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing, they believe in anything"
Very interesting section about the actions and practices you can take to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and the almost steelman your view of meaning.
Your "cultural Christian" commentary is spot on. Funny that Dawkins said that, but good on him for recognizing the hidden scripts that shape our lives. Christian morality and values are heavily embedded into the Western world, even for people who think of themselves as atheist. Although part of me wonders if, in the breakdown of religion, over time we lose that foundation too.
It's one reason why Nietzsche's "Genealogy of Morals" was so groundbreaking to me... it shocked me out of the belief that one set of values were absolute versus a product of the times. It's hard to see these beliefs, even when we live them out every day.
P.S. I totally could have used the Chesterton's quote for my essay!
Rick, you described every thought I have been contemplating, since I left my own “old world” in my 50s; you also described every aspect of the discussion I have been having with my son, who is barely in his 30s and already felt the void and emptiness of what’s becoming of his “old world” …
If there is an Explorers Community, I’d gladly join, as I am sure many (more and younger than we realize) out there are exploring the big “Finding Meaning” new world on their own.
Yi - your note means a lot. I'm glad it resonated and spoke to what was in your head.
No community in the works (at least, yet), but I appreciate plugging the idea 😉
I always remind myself that the map is not the territory, even if that's our means to experience life. And I also acknowledge that meaning is created, not something you conveniently search and find out there. Our relentless drive for certainty and meaning is ironically the cause of our existential suffering.
Are we the only species suffering from that, post-survival? If you have a pet, look at them. They don't have to worry about their survival, but they are surely not experiencing an existential crisis or pondering about meaning. They go about with their daily life. Sleep, play, exploring their surroundings.
Always present in the moment, always curious. Everyday is a new day to savor. Perhaps fulfilment can be unlocked in the simplest of things.
Great essay, I enjoy reading it. Thanks Rick!
Yeah, we like to make it more complex don't we?
I love the thought experiment exercise of asking "what if the thing that is central to your identity disappeared?"
I think in my case post letting go of a career ambition, loss.
With that loss, there's also a grieving period needed while doing the exploring. During that period, you feel pulled by old identities and old motivations. This can show up in sunk cost fallacy, prior commitments and structures we've built for that old identity (group, education, beliefs, etc.)
Dismantling all that is work but now i'm able to start from a clean slate. I still feel pulled back by an old identity (i have tabs open to apply to consulting firms out of a need) but I also know that's not really what I want.
I'm thinking of writing an essay "What if you could never work again?" as a thought experiment. But for a parent, it could be "What if you lost your child?". Or the religious, "what if you realized your religion was untrue?"
I think you are on the right track. And it's wise to note there is a grieving period before the exploring. Even if work will always be part of your identity, you can notice it's place now and try to shift to its right fit, and be proactive in supplementing with other sources of meaning.
Thanks for your note Ved!