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Old Saturday, December 28, 2019
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Default Evaluate essay (1500 words) -- Can meanings be fixed?

The only constant in life is change. Life changes every minute, every second. Circumstances change every second. Beliefs change every second. Above all, the meaning also changes every second. One minute, we are over the moon. The next minute, we lose all hope. God has created billions of human beings each one of which is bestowed with different abilities, different ambitions, different circumstances and different objectives in life. Therefore, the meaning of everything is different for every individual. There is nothing in this world which has fixed meaning. The meaning and purpose of life itself is changing. The meaning of success and failure varies from person to person. The meaning of culture and civilization also varies from one society to another. The meaning of any color is differently interpreted in different societies. The meaning of knowledge is a variable. The meaning of morality is changing. The meaning of women in society is changing. The meaning of values such as truth and honesty is changing. The influences on a person’s thinking are his personal circumstances, societal pressures, ambitions, biases, religious tendencies and economic wellbeing. Thus, it can be easily said that meaning can never be fixed.

The understanding of life varies from person to person. There are different philosophies that explain the purpose of life. The purpose of life in the eyes of an epicurean is to enjoy the pleasures of life. In the eyes of a religion person, life has an altogether different meaning. For example, Islam advocates a life of meaningfulness. It fully endorses a balanced approach between spiritual and material, individual and collective aspects of life. Life is the pursuit of material wealth for a materialist. For some people life is a journey that should be spent in the welfare of fellow human beings.

Likewise, success or failure have different meanings for different people. Success itself is a highly contested word. The meaning has been changing since antiquity. In today’s world, success has been reduced to accumulation of wealth. It is definitely a dubious approach towards life. For a Muslim, success is to achieve the best of both worlds. Islam cannot discount the role of spiritual connection in gauging success. Some people are also of the view that a successful life is one which is spent in the service of humanity. On that account, Abdul Sattar Edhi or Dr. Ruth Pfau were extremely successful.

Moreover, the meaning of failure is also a variable. Failure is the end of the world for a pessimist person. But it also a moment of introspection and a way of learning for an optimistic mind. Failure is inevitable in life. To escape failure, one should do nothing in life. In Islam, failure is nothing but a point of deliberation and an opportunity of reassessment of one’s actions and deeds. Thus, we can say with utmost confidence that meaning of success as well as failure is not fixed.

Moving on, knowledge has an altogether different meaning for a literate and an illiterate person. A literate person knows the value of knowledge hence he acquires it. On contrary, an illiterate person does not weight knowledge in the same scale of balance. A literate and well educated person respects all symbols of knowledge i.e. books, teacher, school, university as well as disciplines. On the other hand, an illiterate does not understand the exalted status of a teacher. For him, teacher is just a professional who is doing his job and receiving his salary in return. But only a knowledgable person knows the actual worth of a teacher. Hence, meaning of knowledge also varies from person to person.

In addition, when it comes to food, the meaning varies from one culture to another. For example, some dishes which are considered a delicacy in western countries are detested in Muslim culture. For example, frog is considered a delicacy in some Western sub-cultures . but in Pakista, it is nothing but an insect which not allowed to be unnecessarily touch let alone be eaten. The meaning of food also changes owing to religious compulsions. For herbivores, beef is prohibited because some Hindus consider cow as their God. But right the next door in Pakistan, beef is a great delicacy. So it can be said that meaning of food cannot be fixed.

Furthermore, the meaning of money varies from one individual to the other. For a rich person, money is a tool to purchase different commodities and services. He even wants to purchase the loyalties and feelings of others by the power of pelf. Bu t the meaning of money is altogether different for a poor person. A poor person is a cash-starved individual who cannot even make his both ends meet. He does not think of money in terms of luxury but in the fulfillment of basic necessities of life. Therefore, the meaning of money is not fixed.

Alongside other things, the meaning of religion is also different for a believer and a non-believer. A believer takes religion as the most sacred relation an individual possess in the course of his life. On the other hand, religion has no worth in the eyes of a disbeliever of atheist. He thinks very low of religion. He fails to fathom the true purpose and necessity of religion. Some disbelievers go as far as to call religion as source of exploitation. [Marx] but the sacredness of religion cannot be contested for a religion person. He is willing to sacrifice is his life in the cause of religion. Religion is at the center of life for a believer. He follows the injunctions of the religion in letter and spirit. Hence, the meaning of religion is not fixed in a society.

The meaning of machines is also fluctuating in our society. It is a symbol of progress and scientific advancement for scientists and capitalists. Marxian have a completely opposite view of machines. They considered machine as a source of exploitation of religion. The rise of machines has resulted in displacement of labor because a machine is capable for performing work equal to ten people. On the whole, our enhanced way of living can be attributed to the invention and application of machines but the same machine has also robbed the common man of his humanity. The relentless pursuit of profit through the support of machines has blinded the man. In short, machine is a bane for one group and boon for the other.

Moreover, even the every color has different meanings in different societies. Red color for example has varied meanings in different societies. White dress mean different to different societies. It is normally worn by a bride in western Christian weddings. Hence, it is a symbol of marriage, celebration and joy. The same colored dress is worn by the mourners in a Hindu funeral. It amply proves that the meaning is far from fixed.

Likewise, music has different connotations for different people in different situations. It means food for soul for a music lover but the same melody can be a nuisance for another person. In one situation, we may like to listen the music but on the other situation it might becoming boring and noisy. The acceptance of music is often understood in terms of dictates of religion and culture. In some religions, music is prohibited from the very outset. O the whole, the taste of people for people is in variance with each other.

The meaning and perceptions about women are changing with the passage of time. There was a time when woman was considered an imperfect man. [Socrates] It was the period of ignorance when a daughter used to be buried. Then came the advent of Islam. Islam totally redefined the meaning of women. It accorded the right status to woman and lifted her to the highest pedestal of respect and dignity. In contemporary era, feminism is ruling the roost and complete reorientation of a women’s role and status is taking place. Now the women are working side by side to men. They are holding key positions in all spheres of life. They have even entered into those fields which were once considered an exclusive domain of man. With the empowerment of women, meaning of liberty, divorce, marriage and family have also undergone transition. Hence, its meaning is not fixed.

The sum and substance of the whole discussion is that meaning in life can never be fixed. A meaning in dictionary may remain fixed but a meaning in practical life can never remain fixed. The socio-cultural change in our society is redefining different concepts of life. There is a persistent state of conflict between ideas which has also resulted in reorientation of perceptions. The meanings are determined by individual as well as collective factors. There it can be concluded that meaning never be fixed as long as difference of opinion prevails.
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