"What is the meaning of life?" As soon as you look for a meaning or non-meaning you are imputing something which is at least relative, or better off doesn't exist. Meaning in relationship to what? What's the "meaning" of a car dealership? It gives cars to some people in some city but what about the rest of the universe? Which life, yours or in general? If in general then what is the "meaning" of a tree's life? How can something that just "grows" and doesn't make decisions have any sort of "meaning" or "non-meaning?"

It's not specific. When it's not specific then the question doesn't bring a valuable answer. In fact, that entire question itself just throws a projection onto something which normally is very natural, "life" or "being here," and almost forces one to accept the imputation created by the question itself in order to answer it -- finding a meaning or a non-meaning. Which is why it's difficult to answer, which is why the answers can be debated, which is why when someone thinks they have an answer someone else can strike it down, which is why when someone says "there is no meaning" it results in disappointment. It's not that there's "no meaning," it's just not how the situation exists (meaning/non-meaning), so there's no reason to feel disappointment when you don't find a meaning. Being alive is a phenomenon that's here and is the way it is regardless of whether you can see it or not see it or what you think about it. A raccoon's meaning of life doesn't change even though it doesn't have the capacity to ask the question.

A more relevant question is "what should I do?" "What should I do" changes with circumstances. When you start getting into that answer then you get into much deeper or meaningful thinking, almost strategizing, applying philosophy, etc. You determine a course of action and apply the method to achieve it. That's all "life" is really, making decisions and seeing the results.

"What is the meaning of life" is one of those questions I was asked in something like Intro to Philosophy in college, and the question brought me nowhere, like many of the questions I was asked in various college courses. If I were back in college now I wouldn't see any other way of handling it than tearing the questions apart, and whether the teacher got it or not, applying patience. The question really, really isn't profound and my way of answering it isn't supposed to be deep, it's just a reminder that questions have that effect, that things aren't so simple, that whatever comes across your mind you have to investigate. I don't like these sort of entries at all because I am absolutely no authority on them, but I saw the question and wanted to tackle it.