The Neuroscience of Meaning
“What is the meaning of this?!!??!!” is often heard from people who are upset and want to know what is going on. However, I think the question and this week’s quote can be interpreted in a different way from either of these, and in a way that can help us become more influential in creating the life we want.
For example, notice how the quote says, “Meaning isn’t something we discover, it is what we bring to life, either by choice or by chance.” The first part of this statement speaks to the fact that what something means, or how we give meaning to some aspect of our life, isn’t something we discover, but something we bring to life. I like this because it speaks to the fact that we are always attributing meaning to one thing or another (versus discovering it) and that this can play a huge role in how we experience life.
In psychology this is called “attribution theory,” because it seeks to explain how we attribute meaning to, or interpret what we experience. For those of you who follow my “Life from the Top of the Mind” perspective, you also know that the part of the brain that is responsible for interpreting incoming data is the limbic system. Unfortunately, this part of the brain is also responsible for keeping us alive, and therefore, tends to over-interpret the negative (whether it is truly threatening to us or not).
This is what leads people to claim things like “Traffic makes me nuts!” or “Difficult people drive me crazy!” Without realizing it, they are giving meaning to a situation in a way that engages the lower 20% of the brain and triggers fight-or-flight chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol.
And then there is the second half of the quote that speaks to how this bringing meaning to life will either happen by choice or by chance. If we simply allow the limbic system to interpret life with its tendency to accentuate the negative and interpret situations based upon what it has learned in the past (by chance) then we will forever be controlled by fear, worry, and anxiety.
However, if we decide to take charge of this interpretive process (by choice) and direct the limbic system to attribute meaning in a way that is purposeful, helps us create the life we want, and in a way we would recommend to someone we love, then love and purposefulness will become the way we bring meaning to life!
Therefore, if you would like to be more influential in your life and in the lives of those you love, I suggest you start paying A LOT of attention to how you are giving meaning to the people and situations in your life… Notice how seeing them as what is being done to us (traffic makes me crazy) results in feelings of resentment, annoyance, and/or depression, while seeing the situation as an opportunity to respond in a way that you would recommend to someone you love creates an entirely different experience. What are you bringing to life?
~ All the best, Dr. Bill