![]() ![]() Such thinking is reflected both in contemporary stories such as Pinocchio, The Lion King, and Harry Potter, and in ancient stories from the Bible. The book advances the idea that people are born with an instinct for ethics and meaning, and should take responsibility to search for meaning above their own interests (Rule 7, "Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient"). Illustration of a lobster making a dominance display, which is rewarded neurochemically with the release of serotonin And if happiness is the purpose of life, what happens when you're unhappy? Then you're a failure. ![]() It's not something to aim at – because it's not an aim. It's all very well to think the meaning of life is happiness, but what happens when you're unhappy? Happiness is a great side effect. Scientific experiments like the Invisible Gorilla Test show that perception is adjusted to aims, and it is better to seek meaning rather than happiness. Living in a world of chaos and order, everyone has "darkness" that can "turn them into the monsters they're capable of being" to satisfy their dark impulses in the right situations. The book's central idea is that "suffering is built into the structure of being" and although it can be unbearable, people have a choice either to withdraw, which is a "suicidal gesture", or to face and transcend it.
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