1. 5
Meaning Defined
A MASTERCLASS ON MEANING AND VALUED LIVING

2. Your definition of meaning
Chapter 5 – Meaning defined ?
“What does ‘meaning’ mean to you?”
Because there's a sense in which the term "meaning" means everything - from the meaning of words in philology to the meaning of life in existentialism to a person's subjective experience and affect in psychology.
This is why it's so important to get clear on its definition, or more accurately; definitions of the different types.
The idea that it’s completely subjective (which is and isn’t the case)

3. English word (common noun) a word is a tool
What is “meaning”?
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
English word (common noun)
a word is a tool
used for different purposes
Translation
Intention to communicate
Purpose, goal to serve

4. “My relationship with my father means a lot to me.”
What is “meaning”?
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
“My relationship with my father means a lot to me.”
(expression of value)
Translation
Intention to communicate
Purpose, goal to serve

5. What is “meaning”?
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
“The sign on the road for motorists doesn’t mean anything to me because I’m riding my bicycle.”
(personal relevance filter)
Translation
Intention to communicate
Purpose, goal to serve

6. "What does the French word "frère" mean? Frère means brother.”
What is “meaning”?
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
"What does the French word "frère" mean? Frère means brother.”
(synonym for explanation or definition)
Translation
Intention to communicate
Purpose, goal to serve

7. What is “meaning”?
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
different things, different contexts (semantics, intention, affect, etc.)
other languages have multiple words for the English word “meaning”
Sinn and bedeutung
Zingeving, zin en betekenis
That is to say, the problem of the confusion around meaning may primarily be an English problem

8. Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
Battista & Almond (1973, p. 409) ”
“The concept of positive life regard, an individual’s belief that he is fulfilling his positively valued life-framework or life-goal…”
“Dr. Frankl, your book has become a true bestseller—how do you feel about such a success?”
He goes on saying: : if hundreds of thousands of people reach out for a book whose very title promises to deal with the question of a meaning to life, it must be a question that burns under their fingernails.
We’ve found the exact same thing to be the case. It’s 70 years later now and the question is not just burning under people’s fingernails, but under their skin.
That’s why I’ve set out on this quest to discover the meanings of meaning.

9. Schlegel, Hicks, Arndt, & King (2009, p. 474)
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
Schlegel, Hicks, Arndt, & King (2009, p. 474) ”
“a sense that life has an authentic purpose, and experiencing “feelings of legitimacy, importance, and value to… aspects of life,” such as relationships, behavior, goals, and work”…
“Dr. Frankl, your book has become a true bestseller—how do you feel about such a success?”
He goes on saying: : if hundreds of thousands of people reach out for a book whose very title promises to deal with the question of a meaning to life, it must be a question that burns under their fingernails.
We’ve found the exact same thing to be the case. It’s 70 years later now and the question is not just burning under people’s fingernails, but under their skin.
That’s why I’ve set out on this quest to discover the meanings of meaning.

10. Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
Steger et al. (2006, p. 81) ”
“the sense made of, and significance felt regarding, the nature of one’s being and existence”
“Dr. Frankl, your book has become a true bestseller—how do you feel about such a success?”
He goes on saying: : if hundreds of thousands of people reach out for a book whose very title promises to deal with the question of a meaning to life, it must be a question that burns under their fingernails.
We’ve found the exact same thing to be the case. It’s 70 years later now and the question is not just burning under people’s fingernails, but under their skin.
That’s why I’ve set out on this quest to discover the meanings of meaning.

11. Scientific definitions
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
many different scientific definitions
shared keywords: coherence, significance, value, relevance and purpose
interconnected terms
point to a mental state
The type of meaning we’re after can best be described as “meaningfulness”. This is a much less confusing word as this points more directly to someone’s experience that something matters and/or makes sense and the resulting positive emotions.
Find out whether meaning is really the best word to use in that sentence

12. 2 core processes MEANING MATTERING MAKING SENSE
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
2 core processes
MEANING
MATTERING
MAKING SENSE
The type of meaning we’re after can best be described as “meaningfulness”. This is a much less confusing word as this points more directly to someone’s experience that something matters and/or makes sense and the resulting positive emotions.
Find out whether meaning is really the best word to use in that sentence

13. Mattering = of personal relevance
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
= of personal relevance
attribution of significance to an experience
purpose, value, relevance, significance = something matters
e.g. having purpose = having a direction in life that matters
The type of meaning we’re after can best be described as “meaningfulness”. This is a much less confusing word as this points more directly to someone’s experience that something matters and/or makes sense and the resulting positive emotions.
Find out whether meaning is really the best word to use in that sentence

14. Making sense
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
= see their structure and interrelatedness between experiences
recognise understandable patterns in experiences
rendering the world comprehensible, coherent and predictable
hard to attribute meaning to what we cannot understand

15. Making sense meaning crisis = mattering without making sense
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
meaning crisis = mattering without making sense
not a pre-requisite for mattering, but for meaning
not enough for meaning

16. Note for practitioners
Chapter 5 - Meaning Defined
meaningful: often a better word
less confusion
directly relates to the subjective experience of ‘mattering’
a continuum of
The type of meaning we’re after can best be described as “meaningfulness”. This is a much less confusing word as this points more directly to someone’s experience that something matters and/or makes sense and the resulting positive emotions.
Find out whether meaning is really the best word to use in that sentence

17. Thanks
for your attention