Basic Patterns of Life and

Meaning
Ferenczi Viola
German Smaranda
LMA III
Prof. Nicolae Cristina
What is the meaning of life ?









people's lives are full of meaning.

Ferenczi Viola LMA III
Life is a process, not a pure
substance, which involves
changes.












Ferenczi Viola LMA III


The term of meaning is defined like
the thing, action, feeling, idea, etc. that a word or words
represent.









Ferenczi Viola LMA III

Creating the meaning of
your own life sounds
very nice as an ideal,
but in reality it may be
impossible.







Ferenczi Viola LMA III

By the time the person
learns to talk (and thus
to use and communicate
meaning) he or she
already has probably
been assigned numerous
meaningsa name, a
home, a position in the
social hierarchy, perhaps
a bank account or money
set aside, and some long-
range plans.

Ferenczi Viola LMA III

Our identity consists of inner
qualities and outer
representations of self.









Ferenczi Viola LMA III

Since the beginning of human history, people
have used explanations, logic and reasoning in
order to explain the human life. To explain why
things happen and to advance ourselves.





Ferenczi Viola LMA III

The meaning is not as simplest conception as we
think heard first this word.. The most simplest
uses of meaning associate labels (such as names,
dates, color, shape) to specific, immediate objects.
These uses of meaning tend to be concrete and to
be limited in time. In contrast, the highest levels
of meaning may refer to complex, far-reaching
relationships that transcend the immediate
situation and may even approach timeless or
eternal perspectives.

Ferenczi Viola LMA III

An important part of
socialization is
learning the
standards of one's
social group, along
with learning how to
conform to those
standards.



Ferenczi Viola LMA III

German Smaranda LMA III
You will never be
happy if you continue to
search for what
happiness consists of.
You will never live if
you are looking for the
meaning of life.
Albert Camus




German Smaranda LMA III

Needs for Meaning









German Smaranda LMA III

The needs that a person
requires in order to give
meaning to his life are:
purpose, value, efficacy
and self-worth.








The first need and in
Eric Klingers opinion,
the most important, is
that of purpose.







German Smaranda LMA III

German Smaranda LMA III


Goals together with fulfillments are the two
categories that make up the purposes.

The difference between these two is that goals are
extrinsic purposes and fulfillments are intrinsic
purposes. The common feature of the two is the
positive affect. Both goals and fulfillments can make
you feel good.





Values are the principles
and beliefs that
influence the behaviour
and way of life of a
particular group or
community.






German Smaranda LMA III

German Smaranda LMA III

The moral system -
1.relating to right and
wrong and the way
people should behave;
2.principles of right and
wrong behaviour that
are generally accepted
by a society.




German Smaranda LMA III

German Smaranda LMA III

German Smaranda LMA III

The third need that I have mentioned in the
lines above is efficacy which is formal
effectiveness in producing the result that you
intended.
German Smaranda LMA III
Self-worth is in fact the fourth and final need. If people
feel that they are worthy this feeling will make them feel
accomplished it will give meaning to their life and it will
make them feel productive, happy and above all, superior
to others because in the end that is what people strive for,
to be above their piers.
German Smaranda LMA III
German Smaranda LMA III
If having a purpose in
life, if having a set of
morals, if feeling
valuable and feeling
accomplished and self-
worthy
can make a persons life
meaningful than their
lack will eventually
make that person so
miserable that he will
stop caring.

German Smaranda LMA III
During our lives we are in search of the better, of the
higher level in everything that surrounds us.

If something is meaningless we as human beings will give
it a meaning to better understand it when we come in
contact. We catalog, we analyze, we give names to make
life easier.
German Smaranda LMA III
German Smaranda LMA III
Completeness is basically the assumption that
everything makes sense, and in fact everything should
make sense in ones life but in many times, in most time
unfortunately, things do not make sense.

German Smaranda LMA III
Consistency is the ability to remain the same in behaviour,
attitudes or qualities. We as human beings need
consistency in our life, and it is my personal opinion that
it would be hard for us to live a normal life without
having consistency.
German Smaranda LMA III
The notion of the myth of fulfillment talks about what
we believe to be fulfillment but in fact is just a state, in
many cases an induced state of mind that makes us feel
accomplished and happy and because of this we see it as
fulfillment.
German Smaranda LMA III
As a conclusion, I believe that we are guided in our life
by what we need, what we think we need and what we
do not need.

Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring
it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when
you are the answer.
Joseph Campbell
Thank you for your
attention!
Bibliography:
1. Meaning of Life, Roy F. Baumeister, 1991, 13-14
2. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/american/General-
words-for-meaning
3. cf. Rothbaum, Weisz, & Snyder, 1982
4. The Stranger or The Outsider (Ltranger), by Albert Camus, published in 1942
5. Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, project manager Katy
McAdam, 2006
6. The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell , released 1988
7. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/meaning-of-life
8. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110206013740AA0cPlj
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Myth