So human beings are creatures for whom meaning is a crucial, a characteristic, part of their wellbeing. You see people seeking it every day in all kinds of ways. Religion, science and the arts all invest heavily in meaning-related notions, such as: that there are ways of living in the world that make more sense than others; that there are patterns to be discerned in nature that express deep order; that it is not just facts that count but values. Even those who would not think of themselves as religious, scientific or artistic engage in a meaning-seeking activity day and night: they use language to communicate, to shape their world, to make things happen, to reveal that which can and, conversely, that which cannot be said. Language might be called that which “raises to significance” As Dominican priest and philosopher Herbert McCabe wrote in The Good Life: “Language is the nervous system of the human community. It is the context for meaning” (2005: 67).

There are, I think, broadly two ways of thinking about meaning. The first defines it as having purpose, and ideally a purpose of your own choosing. According to this view, it doesn't much matter what pursuit it is that provides you with a sense of purpose, so long as it falls within the bounds of social respectability.