Is Everything Meaningless?

Scroll Down to Cure the Existential Crisis

At some point, we all find ourselves asking the big existential creative questions: Am I solving a problem or just creating for the sake of it? Is this visually, sonically, or conceptually interesting enough? How can I push this concept further? Will YouTube ever stop asking me to pay for the ad-free version? 

Well, as if all that wasn’t enough, here’s something else to think about:

Does anything actually matter? 

Is life just a series of random events? Does meaning exist beyond what we assign to things? Does anyone read anymore, or am I ricocheting around a Matrix-esq digital loop receding into the void of creative entropy? 

But here’s the thing—if meaning isn’t inherent, then the responsibility to create it falls entirely on us. Which means meaninglessness isn’t a fact of existence; it’s a choice.

The Psychology of Meaning

Psychologists have spent a lot of time rummaging around behind the scenes trying to figure out why humans need meaning at all. Which ironically gave their jobs meaning. Paradoxical self-referential twists aside, this investigation gave rise to logotherapy, which isn’t a graphic design agency, but rather a philosophy focusing on the meaning of human existence, no less.

Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, argued that the search for meaning is the driving force in human life. He believed that even in the darkest circumstances, those who found purpose—even in suffering—were the ones who endured. 

Viktor’s school of logotherapy is a philosophy and treatment modality inspired by humankind’s search for meaning and moreover, finding healing through finding meaning. 

And like the boys arriving in the nick of time, neuroscience backs this up. Studies show that a sense of purpose is linked to lower stress, better health, and longer life expectancy. 

Meaning isn’t just a nice thing to have; it’s a psychological and physiological necessity.

So if meaning is what makes life bearable, fulfilling, and even joyful—what happens when we strip it away?

Technology, AI, and the "Death" of Meaning

The fear that AI and technology will render human creativity meaningless is a hot topic. After all, AI can now write poetry, compose music, create art, and design logos in seconds. Do creative professionals even matter anymore?

But here’s the catch: AI doesn’t create meaning—it mimics patterns. It doesn’t feel inspiration; it processes data. AI-generated content is impressive, but without human insight, innovation and input, it’s just a tool. 

The rise of AI doesn’t erase human creativity; it makes it more valuable. Because now, more than ever, authenticity stands out. A human’s ability to connect with other humans, to tell a story that makes someone feel something, to innovate in ways that aren’t just efficient but deeply personal—that’s what gives creativity meaning.

Does Anything Matter? Should It?

Maybe the meaning of life isn’t something we find but something we make. If we don’t create meaning, we risk life feeling empty, pointless, and mechanical. But when we choose to care—about our work, our creativity, our relationships, our passions, our community—we build a life that matters.

So, is everything meaningless? 

Only if you let it be.