Skip to content
By using Twitter’s services you agree to our Cookies Use. We and our partners operate globally and use cookies, including for analytics, personalisation, and ads.
  • Home Home Home, current page.
  • About

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Language: English
    • Bahasa Indonesia
    • Bahasa Melayu
    • Català
    • Čeština
    • Dansk
    • Deutsch
    • English UK
    • Español
    • Filipino
    • Français
    • Hrvatski
    • Italiano
    • Magyar
    • Nederlands
    • Norsk
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Română
    • Slovenčina
    • Suomi
    • Svenska
    • Tiếng Việt
    • Türkçe
    • Ελληνικά
    • Български език
    • Русский
    • Српски
    • Українська мова
    • עִבְרִית
    • العربية
    • فارسی
    • मराठी
    • हिन्दी
    • বাংলা
    • ગુજરાતી
    • தமிழ்
    • ಕನ್ನಡ
    • ภาษาไทย
    • 한국어
    • 日本語
    • 简体中文
    • 繁體中文
  • Have an account? Log in
    Have an account?
    · Forgot password?

    New to Twitter?
    Sign up
Meaningness's profile
David Chapman
David Chapman
David Chapman
@Meaningness

Tweets

David Chapman

@Meaningness

Better ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—around problems of meaning and meaninglessness; self and society; ethics, purpose, and value.

meaningness.com/about-my-sites
Joined September 2010

Tweets

  • © 2020 Twitter
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Terms
  • Privacy policy
  • Imprint
  • Cookies
  • Ads info
Dismiss
Previous
Next

Go to a person's profile

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @

Promote this Tweet

Block

  • Tweet with a location

    You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

    Your lists

    Create a new list


    Under 100 characters, optional

    Privacy

    Copy link to Tweet

    Embed this Tweet

    Embed this Video

    Add this Tweet to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Add this video to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Hmm, there was a problem reaching the server.

    By embedding Twitter content in your website or app, you are agreeing to the Twitter Developer Agreement and Developer Policy.

    Preview

    Why you're seeing this ad

    Log in to Twitter

    · Forgot password?
    Don't have an account? Sign up »

    Sign up for Twitter

    Not on Twitter? Sign up, tune into the things you care about, and get updates as they happen.

    Sign up
    Have an account? Log in »

    Two-way (sending and receiving) short codes:

    Country Code For customers of
    United States 40404 (any)
    Canada 21212 (any)
    United Kingdom 86444 Vodafone, Orange, 3, O2
    Brazil 40404 Nextel, TIM
    Haiti 40404 Digicel, Voila
    Ireland 51210 Vodafone, O2
    India 53000 Bharti Airtel, Videocon, Reliance
    Indonesia 89887 AXIS, 3, Telkomsel, Indosat, XL Axiata
    Italy 4880804 Wind
    3424486444 Vodafone
    » See SMS short codes for other countries

    Confirmation

     

    Welcome home!

    This timeline is where you’ll spend most of your time, getting instant updates about what matters to you.

    Tweets not working for you?

    Hover over the profile pic and click the Following button to unfollow any account.

    Say a lot with a little

    When you see a Tweet you love, tap the heart — it lets the person who wrote it know you shared the love.

    Spread the word

    The fastest way to share someone else’s Tweet with your followers is with a Retweet. Tap the icon to send it instantly.

    Join the conversation

    Add your thoughts about any Tweet with a Reply. Find a topic you’re passionate about, and jump right in.

    Learn the latest

    Get instant insight into what people are talking about now.

    Get more of what you love

    Follow more accounts to get instant updates about topics you care about.

    Find what's happening

    See the latest conversations about any topic instantly.

    Never miss a Moment

    Catch up instantly on the best stories happening as they unfold.

    1. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness 30 Dec 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      (I'm working through the logic of this to make it clear; my guess is most people don't reason it out so explicitly. Instead they are likely to inherit the stance of specialness from parents or pick it up from works of fiction (where it's extremely common as fantasy fulfillment).)

      2 replies 0 retweets 8 likes
    2. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness 30 Dec 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      The problem here is that there is no Cosmic Plan, which makes it difficult for you to figure out exactly what it means for it to have Chosen you. One common way to try to make this work is to decide you have been given a special Mission:https://meaningness.com/purpose 

      1 reply 0 retweets 15 likes
    3. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness 30 Dec 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      Another approach is to heighten your uniqueness by exaggerating eccentricities and character quirks and attributing Special Meaningfulness to them. Both these approaches are harmful, although they can motivate genuine & valuable accomplishments too.

      1 reply 1 retweet 14 likes
    4. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness 30 Dec 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      You can't create a Cosmic Plan, because you are human, material, and about two meters in your largest dimension, and the Cosmos is divine, metaphysical, and about 10^16 meters in its physical emanation. Unfortunately, it won't accept your Plan. Partly because it doesn't exist.

      2 replies 0 retweets 9 likes
    5. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness 30 Dec 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      You can create a plan for yourself, or for yourself and other people. That's a merely ordinary thing to do, though. It doesn't make you special, no matter how ambitious it is. Also, reality mostly doesn't cooperate with plans.

      1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
    6. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness 30 Dec 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      When you realize trying to convince yourself that you are special doesn’t work, there’s several directions you can go. One is to try to be ordinary, which is also a bad idea.

      1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
    7. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness 30 Dec 2019
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      Better is to try to be “noble,” which means dropping the whole question of personal value and life-role, losing interest in the meaning of Me, and doing what you can to be useful for other people, for their sake, rather than for what it proves about Me.

      3 replies 4 retweets 26 likes
    8. Lulie‏ @reasonisfun Jan 1
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness

      Why is doing things for others not also a kind of personal? What makes Others different in kind from Me?

      1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
    9. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness Jan 1
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @reasonisfun

      Sorry, my tweet about nobility was badly worded and/or too condensed. It could easily be misunderstood as "service to others is truly meaningful, whereas selfish motivations are not." That's a version of the confused stance of "mission."

      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
    10. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness Jan 1
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      The central insight is that we're always trying to make things mean either more or less than they do, which doesn't work out well. The "confused stances" are a catalog of strategies for adding or subtracting meaning.

      1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      David Chapman‏ @Meaningness Jan 1
      • Report Tweet
      • Report NetzDG Violation
      Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

      "I am special because they aren't" is one. "Everybody's special, so collectively we are truly meaningful" is another. "My life is made meaningful by serving others"; "my life is meaningful because I'm getting all the goodies I can"; etc.

      10:56 AM - 1 Jan 2020
      • 1 Like
      • QC
      1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
        1. New conversation
        2. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness Jan 1
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation
          Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

          The "complete stance" says that we don't have to go around adding and subtracting meaning, we can just let things have whatever meanings they do or don't. Then we don't have anything metaphysical we have to keep trying to prove.

          1 reply 0 retweets 4 likes
        3. David Chapman‏ @Meaningness Jan 1
          • Report Tweet
          • Report NetzDG Violation
          Replying to @Meaningness @reasonisfun

          And in that case, we can get on with enjoying life and being useful, without the exhausting foofaraw of Cosmic Meaningfulness (eternalism) or the empty depression of Cosmic Meaninglessness (nihilism).

          1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
        4. 1 more reply

      Loading seems to be taking a while.

      Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.

        Promoted Tweet

        false

        • © 2020 Twitter
        • About
        • Help Center
        • Terms
        • Privacy policy
        • Imprint
        • Cookies
        • Ads info