People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.
Joseph Campbell
About the Author
Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was an American professor, writer, and orator best known for his work in comparative mythology and religion. He spent his career studying the myths and stories of cultures around the world, identifying common themes and archetypes that appear across diverse traditions. Campbell’s seminal work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, outlines the hero’s journey – a universal story structure found in myths from various cultures. This concept has influenced generations of storytellers, including George Lucas who credits Campbell as an inspiration for Star Wars.
The quote comes from one of Campbell’s many speeches and lectures in which he expounded on the role of myth in human life and the search for existential meaning.
The meaning of the quote
In this quote, Campbell suggests that the search for life’s meaning may be misguided. He proposes that what we truly desire is not an abstract meaning but rather a visceral experience of being alive. This insight encourages us to shift our focus from the intellectual pursuit of purpose to the embodied experience of living.
Are you chasing goals for the sake of some abstract meaning, or are you craving the intense experience of living fully? The distinction is significant. One focuses on an endpoint, a destination, while the other emphasizes the journey, the sensation of existing in the present moment.
Campbell’s words challenge the assumption that life’s meaning exists as a fixed, external truth waiting to be discovered. Instead, he invites us to find meaning by fully engaging with life’s richness and rawness. By immersing ourselves in the joys, struggles, and mysteries of existence, we tap into a deeper sense of purpose and connection.
This perspective liberates us from the pressure to find a definitive answer to life’s big questions. It allows us to embrace the ambiguity and complexity of the human experience. Rather than chasing after an elusive meaning, we can find fulfilment by savouring the journey – the full spectrum of thoughts, emotions and experiences that make us feel alive.
Campbell’s quote is a call to presence and participation. It urges us to move beyond intellectual abstractions and fully inhabit our lives. By doing so, we may discover that the meaning we seek emerges organically from the act of living itself. True significance arises not from grasping external explanations but from courageously embracing the mystery, beauty, and adventure available to us at each moment.