Dr. John Vervaeke

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A Thorough Critique of Popular and Psychological Accounts of Meaning of Life

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Nov 7, 2025

Guest

Arjun Arora

Arjun Arora, a cognitive science and physics student at the University of Toronto, joins John to critique traditional views on the meaning of life. They explore the flaws in popular concepts like purpose and coherence, proposing a shift to ideas of orientation and connectedness. Arjun shares his personal evolution from nihilism to a deeper understanding of meaning as relational and communal. Together, they advocate for a new metaphysics that integrates cognitive science and existential wisdom, emphasizing the importance of rationality and shared narratives in cultivating meaning.

01:48:57

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ANECDOTE

From Nihilism To Research

Arjun Arora shares his personal shift from nihilism and depression to researching meaning in life.
His experience motivated the joint project with John Vervaeke to develop a better theory.

insights

INSIGHT

Orientation Over Purpose

The common four-part psychological model (purpose, coherence, significance, mattering) is inadequate and conceptually confused.
Replace 'purpose' with 'orientation' and foreground connectedness to reality as central to meaning.

insights

INSIGHT

Meaning As A Thick Relation

Meaning should be treated as a thick, normative term that prescribes and praises behavior, not merely descriptive.
Meaning works as a real relation of fit between agent and world (affordance/adaptivity).

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From Personal Nihilism to Academic Inquiry

02:15 • 1min

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What Is the Standard Psychological Model of Meaning?

03:20 • 1min

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Why 'Purpose' Is Misleading

04:48 • 2min

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Problems with 'Coherence' Research

06:31 • 2min

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Linking Significance and Mattering to Reality

08:23 • 3min

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Why Meaning of Life and Meaning in Life Interact

11:35 • 4min

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How Worldviews Model Agent–Arena Relationships

15:08 • 2min

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Meaning as a Real Relation and Affordance

16:55 • 3min

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Meaning as a Thick, Normative Concept

19:56 • 5min

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Connectedness to Reality as Normative Standard

25:15 • 2min

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Meaning and Inner Peace (Ataraxia)

27:45 • 2min

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Meta-Desires: Wanting the Real and Integrated

30:14 • 4min

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Meaning's Role in Solving Meta-Problems of Adaptivity

34:23 • 2min

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Orientation, Relevance Realization, and Rationality

36:46 • 2min

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Flow, Insight, and the Continuum of Meaningful States

38:36 • 6min

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Critique of Feature-List Models vs. Process Models

44:58 • 3min

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Meaning as Developmental, Aspirational, and Rational

47:32 • 4min

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Meaning, Wisdom, and the Need for Rational Scrutiny

51:15 • 3min

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Existential Resilience and the Cost of Modal Confusion

54:24 • 4min

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Meaning Is Not a Private Possession

58:35 • 3min

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Trust, Belonging, and Shared Meaning

01:01:05 • 5min

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4E Cognition and Non-Propositional Connectedness

01:05:58 • 2min

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Limits of Propositional Measures in Meaning Research

01:08:01 • 2min

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Why Current Measures Miss Worldview and Fittedness

01:10:20 • 2min

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Conflicting Survey Results and Construct Ambiguity

01:11:59 • 27sec

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Modern Individualism vs. Dialogical Reason

01:12:27 • 2min

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Extended Agency, Culture, and Shared Narrative

01:14:32 • 3min

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Justification, Personhood, and Communal Recognition

01:17:30 • 2min

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Is Meaning an Illusion or a Real Relation?

01:19:50 • 3min

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Appeal, Attitude, and Correct Orientation

01:23:13 • 4min

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Relevance Realization's Self-Correction and Intrinsic Interest

01:26:50 • 30sec

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Transjectivity and the 'Between' as Core of Meaning

01:27:20 • 5min

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Subjective–Objective Divide and the Need for New Metaphysics

01:32:03 • 4min

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Phenomenology, Functionality, and Integrative Methodology

01:35:52 • 9min

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Next Steps: Formalizing and Cultivating Meaning and Wisdom

01:45:10 • 3min

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Surrogates of Meaning and Adaptive Alternatives

Prospects for Ultimate Meaning

Stephen G. Smith

#1964

• Mentioned in 17 episodes

Awakening from the Meaning Crisis

A Deeper Understanding of Meaning and the Meaning Crisis

John Vervaeke

In "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis," John Vervaeke explores the pervasive sense of meaninglessness in modern society. He delves into the cognitive and philosophical roots of this crisis, examining how our understanding of the world contributes to feelings of emptiness and disconnection. Vervaeke offers a framework for understanding meaning, proposing that it's not a singular entity but a multifaceted concept encompassing purpose, significance, and mattering. He challenges readers to re-evaluate their values and find meaning in their lives through self-reflection and engagement with the world. The book provides a blend of philosophical insights and scientific research, offering a comprehensive approach to navigating the meaning crisis.

#2523

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

The Blind Spot

What Science Cannot Ignore, or Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Meaning in Life and Why It Matters

Susan Wolf

#17517

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Meaning in Life

Kristin Neff

This is John's second video essay, and it delivers a thorough critique of contemporary theories of meaning in life. With his student Arjun Arora assisting, John dismantles the standard psychological and folk categories — purpose, coherence, significance, and mattering — showing why they fall short of capturing the depth of what "meaning" actually is.

Arjun Arora is a cognitive science and physics scholar whose work bridges science, philosophy, and the search for meaning. As a student collaborator of Dr. John Vervaeke at the University of Toronto, Arora explores questions at the intersection of cognitive science, metaphysics, and existential psychology. His research focuses on the nature of meaning in life.

The Blind Spot

Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study

Charles Taylor

Michael Levin

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00:00 Welcome to the Lectern

01:16 "What makes a life worth living, even when we are faced by frustrations, failures, and our faults?"

01:30 Meet Arjun Arora 03:00 Critiquing the standard model of meaning in life 04:30 Purpose and orientation 06:00 Coherence and its challenges 08:00 Significance and mattering 11:30 Meaning in life vs. meaning of life 14:30 Worldviews and meta meaning systems 17:00 The role of affordance and adaptivity 22:00 The normativity of meaning in life 47:00 The developmental dimension of meaning in life 52:00 Exploring the connection between wisdom and meaning 52:30 Modal confusion and existential modes 53:00 The having mode vs. the being mode 53:30 The cost of modal confusion 55:00 Existential resilience and meaning in life 58:00 The normative aspect of meaning 01:04:00 The role of trust and belonging in meaning 01:08:00 The problem with the current meaning in life construct 01:12:30 The need for a new metaphysics 01:43:00 The importance of phenomenology in meaning 01:45:00 Concluding thoughts and future directions

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The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. Become a part of our mission.

Join Awaken to Meaning to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships.

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Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode

Philosophical Silk Road

Intersection of Neo-Platonism and Judaism

Ibn Gabirol's philosophy of matter and form

Fountain of Life and the concept of God

Dialogical nature of reason

Jewish mysticism and its influence

Potentiality and actuality in Neo-Platonism

Receptivity and creativity in philosophy

Coupling of form and matter in existence

Desire and the divine essence

Logos as the "virtual engine"

Purpose of mankind and knowledge

Self-organization and complexity

The mystery of the divine and analogy of language

Ibn Gabirol (Avicebron)

Sarah Pessin – scholar, Theology of Desire

Zevi Slavin – host/interlocutor

Andalusian thinkers

Fountain of Life

Selected Poems of Ibn Gabirol

Theology of Desire

Books and literature on Ibn Gabirol generally

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Follow John Vervaeke: Website | Twitter | YouTube | Patreon

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Thank you for Listening!

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