1. Nothing
Some discouraged philosophers, like Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and David Benatar, questioned the intrinsic significance of life. Some people commit suicide due to depression and negative events in their lives. But most people, thankfully, are able to find many reasons to value their lives, and in the polls, most people say they are very happy. Nihilism is therefore maybe not a plausible position.
2. Religion
Surveys also show that many people declare that religion and spirituality are major sources of meaning in their lives. Unfortunately, however, these sources may be invalid, especially if there is no evidence to support claims for specific religious beliefs. Religious faith can be reassuring, but science cannot objectively tell a person whether to adhere to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or another religion. It cannot even tell an individual which version of Christianity (Catholic, Baptist, Morman, etc.) or Islam (Shi'ite or Sunni) they should adopt. Therefore, vague religion and spiritual ideas, such as “everything happens for a reason”, cannot provide an evidence-based basis for life.
3. Happiness
Psychological research has identified a lot of ways in which people can increase happiness in their lives, as in the beautiful book by Sonja Lyubomirsky, the how of happiness. But happiness is usually the result of a significant life, not what makes life worthy of being lived. There are people whose lives are significant even if they are not really happy. for example, someone who suffers from difficult work while raising a child with special needs.
On the other hand, happiness can be achieved at little cost by more loose serenity, an unconscious bliss resulting from having minimum goals, access to medicines, or unlimited time for recreation. You can have happiness without much meaning, and meaning without much happiness; therefore, happiness is probably not the meaning of life.
4. Love, work and play
Love includes friendships and family relationships together with romantic relationships. The work includes various productive activities such as community volunteering and paid work. The play includes all forms of entertainment such as reading and watching films, not only games.
Surveys and other psychological studies indicate that love, work, and play effectively allow people to have a life they enjoy. Neuroscience provides a more in-depth understanding of how brain processes generate relationship, independence, and skill needs that can be met by the successful pursuit of love, work, and play. This satisfaction often produces happiness, but even pursuit suffices to give meaning to life.
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