I was recently directed to a podcast featuring the Jungian psychoanalyst Dr. James Hollis. The sit-down interview is available on YouTube but I first took to it on Spotify, filling a few runs with Hollis’ meditations on life.
The meaning of life and the notion of purpose are at the core of this interview. The concept of meaning is an intriguing one. Like Hollis’ use of the word soul - wielded metaphorically - meaning here seems to fall outside the strictly absolute. Along these lines, he grounds meaning in relation to one’s psyche or soul. It grows if our life’s march is in tune with our soul, and it decays if it is not. Different from hedonic notions, meaning then, seems more closely related to contentment under this view.
So, what is the meaning of life? Hollis seems to give a relative answer. Others will condition theirs to pursuits and aims, wins and losses, and even gratification itself. I tend to gravitate away from there being any real solution to this kind of question. The multiplicity of confident answers one might obtain on survey would seem to support this viewpoint. Questions like the ‘meaning of life’ seem more and more like confections of mind - traps for the curious, but traps, nonetheless. A constant reorientation to the present moment and now seems to obviate the need for an answer just as it obviates the urgency of other, more worldly, material fixations. There is probably some wisdom in that kind of a take on this kind of a question, but I remain open minded.
I found value in many of the general points Hollis made and believe other secularists will find his insights to be thought provoking and without reliance on dogmatism or superstition. Regardless of how one works out the struggle with meaning and life, Hollis’ contribution on the topic is engaging. He sparks some great conversation and drops more than a few practical bombs and pearls of wisdom. They are worth reflecting on, whether one finds true meaning in his core philosophy or Jungian theory.
Some of the highlights from my point of view:
‘Listening’ to the soul & meeting the appointment of your life
The first and second halves of life
Marriage* (see 50 year marriage assumption*)
His mantra and reliance on greek translation
Here is the interview on YouTube…
And on Spotify…