ABSTRACT
The relentless human propensity to interpret all events and experiences has encouraged many thinkers throughout the ages to conclude that a fundamental need or drive for meaning is an innate part of the human mind. Small children endlessly ask “why?” in response to adult generalizations and explanations. Teenagers question what they have learned from parents and authorities by way of forming their own conclusions. Adults analyze the nuances of their spouses’ acts as well as the grand import or causal implications of national events, from politics to sports. People may ruminate for years to search for meaning behind unfathomable events; they turn to scientific experts, poets, or religious leaders to give meaning to the incomprehensible.
