Emerging from the Labyrinth: The Struggle for Life’s Meaning

In the modern world, the feeling of lost meaning in life can seep into the very depths of the soul when reality proves incompatible with inner expectations. In facing internal catastrophes, many—feeling that familiar pleasures have lost their strength—find themselves as if trapped in an endless, arduous labyrinth, where every step is shrouded in darkness and despair.

The disintegration of unity and the loss of a common idea lead to individual pursuits and small goals, which, lacking a binding core, cause a sense of complete fragmentation and the loss of wholeness. In such moments, one’s personal system of values collapses under the weight of internal disappointment, and life begins to resemble an endless ordeal—devoid of familiar signposts and deep meaning. This is not so much a cessation of striving as it is a call to reassess one’s expectations and seek a new source of inspiration capable of igniting a spark of hope even in the darkest hours.

Despite the complexity and pain of these experiences, it is precisely through the acknowledgement of inner emptiness that one can find the strength to transform. Recognizing disappointment paves the way for the search for profound truths capable of uniting the disparate parts of life into a cohesive whole. Each of us has the opportunity to regain the energy to live if we dare to confront those gloomy facets of existence and discover that inner light that helps us transcend mundane disillusionment and open a new chapter of genuine fulfillment.

Why might some people lack a sense of life’s meaning, and what factors can lead to its loss?

Some people may feel a lack of life’s meaning when their internal expectations diverge from reality, resulting in deep disappointment and an overwhelming sense of inner emptiness. This loss of meaning can arise as a consequence of experienced internal catastrophes, when feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and depression are so intense that the familiar system of values crumbles. For instance, one author describes a state in which personal experiences resemble life on hard labor—a sensation that all once meaningful interests and pursuits have lost their significance, and inner suffering and despair completely seize one’s consciousness (from " link ").

Another factor in losing the sense of life’s meaning is disillusionment with the very concept of the significance of existence. A re-evaluation of expectations—when one once strived for a life that was supposed to fulfill all passions and desires—turns into a bitter realization that such fulfillment is unattainable. In this context, complete disillusionment does not extinguish the quest for meaning; on the contrary, it reflects a powerful desire to find it, even if for some it leads to suicide—as a symbol of extreme despair born from the discrepancy between expectation and reality (from " link ").

Moreover, on a broader cultural level, the loss of unity and a common guiding principle—when individual goals and efforts fragment into numerous small, unrelated pursuits—fosters a sense of emptiness and meaninglessness. The absence of a unifying central idea or common objective renders life fragmented and devoid of a deep connection between its various aspects, ultimately leading to the loss of the feeling of life’s wholeness (from " link ").

Supporting citation(s):
"If it coincided, then it would be meaninglessness—in other words, it would cease to exist. Consequently, the disheartened and desperate suicide victim became disillusioned not with the meaning of life, but quite the opposite—his hope for life’s meaninglessness: he had hoped that life would proceed as he wished, always and in every respect yielding the direct satisfaction of his blind passions and arbitrary whims—that is, that it would be meaningless. In this he became disillusioned and found life unworthy of living. But if he became disillusioned with the meaninglessness of the world, then in doing so he acknowledged its meaning. If such an involuntarily admitted meaning is intolerable for a person, if instead of seeking to understand he merely rails against others and punishes the truth with the fate of a 'hostile destiny,' the essence of the matter remains unchanged. The meaning of life is confirmed only by the fateful failure of those who deny it: this very denial forces some (theoretical pessimists) to live unworthily—in contradiction to their own preaching, while for others (practical pessimists or suicides) the denial of life’s meaning coincides with the literal denial of their existence. Clearly, there is meaning in life when its deniers inevitably deny themselves: some through their unworthy existence, others through their violent death." (source: link )

"I felt as if I were on hard labor, perhaps in the mines—I had never seen myself in such a state, only realizing the profound internal impact it had on me—as if I were in such a mine. Using terms I had not yet employed, I would say: this hideous and inexpressible experience, which struck me like a blow, was mystical, and in its purest form. I experienced enormous suffering that overwhelmed me, even though there were no apparent reasons to be aware of my impending doom and death. It was like the sensation of being buried alive, with entire leagues of impenetrable, black earth piled above. It was a darkness before which even the darkest night seems bright—a thick, heavy darkness; indeed, Egyptian darkness; it enveloped and smothered me. I felt that no one would come to my aid, that none of those on whom I had once depended as something immutable and eternal would approach me or even learn of my existence. I also sensed that all my interests and pursuits had become powerless. It was not that any doubt arose regarding the correctness or incorrectness of physics or anything else—even nature itself. No, all of that simply lay beyond some insurmountable barrier, became unutterable, devoid of any significance—a tattered remnant neither to be praised nor reproached in one’s agony. With an acute, indisputable conviction, I felt the impotence of everything that had occupied me until then, in that new realm of darkness into which I had fallen. Here, there were only personal needs and sufferings. Evidently, there must also be one’s own means and one’s own joys." (source: link )

"Europe’s great successes in the realm of external culture can be entirely explained by this change. The focus on the external, having become all-encompassing, naturally deepened and grew more refined; discoveries followed that had not been anticipated before, and inventions ensued that rightfully astonished even their creators. All of this is all too understandable, too clear—it should have been expected as far back as two centuries ago. Yet it is equally clear that another phenomenon, inextricably intertwined with it, occurred: the gradual dimming and, ultimately, the loss of the highest meaning of life. An innumerable multitude of details, coupled with the absence of any primary, unifying element—that is the defining characteristic of European life as it has developed over the past two centuries. No single common thought now unites the peoples; no universal feeling governs them—each nation labors solely on its own individual task. The lack of a coordinating center in the relentless toil, in the eternal creation of parts that do not aspire to any greater whole, is merely an external consequence of this loss of life’s meaning." (source: link )