The meaning of your life : finding purpose in an age of emptiness
Publication Information
New York, NY : Portfolio/Penguin, [2026]
Physical Description
290 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Summary
"Meaning in life is getting harder to find--and there's a reason for that. In The Meaning of Your Life, social scientist and happiness expert Arthur Brooks explains how rapid societal and technological changes have rewired our brains, making them ill-equipped to handle questions of existential reckoning. The resulting emptiness is not imaginary, and it is life-destroying for some, especially for young people. Fortunately, there's hope. With compassion, clarity, and practicality, Brooks tells you exactly what you need to do to move toward meaning. You'll take a test to determine where you are on your meaning journey, learn evidence-based tactics for rewiring your brain for complex and abstract concepts, and discover a vocabulary for your desires. Most importantly, Brooks will show you where to search for the transcendence, vocation, and significance that are your birthright as a human being. "What is the meaning of my life?" is not an unanswerable question, but the road to an answer--or answers--is a long one. The Meaning of Your Life is your guide for the journey"--
Contents
- Introduction: Unheimlich
- The meaning of meaning
- The rightside of your brain
- Interrupt the doom loop
- Three big questions you must ask
- Give your heart away
- Transcend yourself
- Look for your calling
- Surround yourself with beauty
- Don't waste your suffering
- Conclusion: Your new, old-fashioned life
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Index.