So, you want to know the meaning of life? You haven't figured it out yet? Then please read on, but I suggest that we should think meaningS, plural, for a start. We have options. We can and do impute various meanings to life, as we do to everything else; and different people and cultures create different meanings.
Meanings are not given to most of us, though we are socialized into some by our parents or significant others, but still we tend to construct our own eventually. So here are my Top 12. Pick yours, or add it to the list if it is not there, or mix and match. They are not all mutually exclusive. We can give our lives many meanings, and they may change over time, perhaps as we wise up. Meaninglessness is not an option; or maybe it's another meaning.
Hedonism: To live and have a good time.
To enjoy; pleasure; "girls just wanna have fun" (Cyndi Lauper)
"Carpe diem" (Horace)
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" (Herrick).
"Eat, drink and be merry" (Eccles 8:15) (but check Isaiah 5:11). Now updated to "Sex, drugs ‘n' rock ‘n' roll" (Ian Dury, not Mick).
The Cyrenaics of Ancient Greece.
May correlate with narcissism and instrumentalism, but not asceticism.
ME
Materialism: To get as much as possible.
The man with the most toys wins.
To win, be top dog, alpha, numero uno, boss.
"If you're rich, I'm single."
To be rich and famous
Plato's bronze people (in the Republic), as also the hedonists above.
ME
Altruism: To give as much as possible
"Love thy neighbour as thyself." The Golden Rule (Mat 19:19).
"Do a good deed every day." "Help other people at all times." (Scouts)
To leave the world a better place.
Idealism, and optimism
THEM
Longevity: To live as long as possible.
"Take care." Prudence. Risk-assessment and risk avoidance.
Quantity of life, not quality.
"Look before you leap." (Yes, but "He who hesitates is lost.")
Moderation in all things.
ME
Sensationalism: To experience as much as possible.
Type T personalities: Thrill-seekers, adventurers, explorers, racers, extreme sports, risk-takers.
"Just do it!" (Nike)
Why climb Everest? "Because it's there." (Mallory). He died there.
To achieve a place in the record books: secular immorality; (more likely just for fun, or because one can, or just because it seemed like a good idea at the time, or one likes the feeling, but the place follows anyway).
Quality of life, not quantity: totally opposite to prudent, careful longevism: boring!
ME
Biologism: The genetic imperative.
To pass along my really selfish genes (Dawkins).
"It's not my fault! I'm programmed!"
o achieve genetic immortality. Men and women famously use different methods.
ALL
Theism: To worship the God or gods.
GO(O)D, holiness as the goal, to do good, to be virtuous.
To achieve spiritual immortality in heaven or paradise.
My religion or faith, is the one true meaning, though there are many different even conflicting faiths, but the others are either just wrong, (sorry), or very similar, (tolerance).
Relates to idealism, altruism and religiosity, also to fundamentalism and totalitarianism.
US, and maybe THEM.
Psychologism: Self-actualization
The seven stages (Maslow)
"To be the best you can be." (U.S. Army)
Being by doing.
Perfectionism
ME, again, but in a different meaning set.
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