My early vote for Word of the Year: meaning

I briefly explored existentialism this year. So far I haven't been able to study the philosophy too much, but I honestly get a healthy fill from An Existential Life and that really gets me through. But following the path of curiosity has still had benefits.  A word that I have become a bit hypersensitive to is "meaning" and all of its variations. I read this fantastic article and wanted to share two snippets. I look forward to reading more of Umair Haque's work.

"When meaning comes last, we sleepwalk through our lives, zombies pirouetting in an empty theatre of choice."

"You and I, each and every one of us, have not merely the slack-jawed consumer's need to live pleasurably, but the enduring human responsibility to live lives that matter. Not for the sake of our own evanescent self-gratification, but for the enduring obligation of fulfilling, one tiny act of furious purpose at a time, the humbling privilege of life."

From: Wanting Meaningful Work Is Not a First World Problem October 11, 2012