How do you respond when life destroys your sense of meaning?

I don’t believe we come to this world preloaded with meaning – the sheer act of existence is a probabilistic anomaly. I don’t believe the universe is a well-ordered system of necessary truth and causation since we have wars, diseases, crime and natural disasters.

But I do believe we all share a unifying purpose – to reduce human suffering.

For me, that starts with improving the lives of those within my closest reach. And cultivating my love of art, science and politics. Rather than embrace meaninglessness and violence, I choose to uphold common sense morality. Rather than despair and wallow in existential self-pity, I choose to find some humour in the suffering that comes with existing while recognising that the only necessary truth is contingency.