You don't really need an external arbiter to enforce a "meaning" on living well with other people. Social connections are essential to happiness[1], at least for most people. The number and kind of connections vary, but the "abuse people and grow rich" model doesn't make most people happy.
That may be counterintuitive, but it's a mis-extrapolation from the fact that being poor really sucks. There are diminishing returns. More things are required, which for many people is some kind of connection.
Those connections are not sufficient, even if necessary. One may still want to give up, and there's no easy answer to the nihilist question. All I can offer is to note that you haven't given up already and therefore have some intution that there is some emotional state you might look for -- even though I assert that "meaning" isn't actually it.
[1] I'm actually using "happiness" as a shortcut for some generally positive emotional state, the kind where you don't feel morose and ask plaintively about "the meaningless of life". That state may not actually be "happy". "Satisfied" or "content" may be more accurate, but still incomplete, and "happy" conveys the notion better.
That may be counterintuitive, but it's a mis-extrapolation from the fact that being poor really sucks. There are diminishing returns. More things are required, which for many people is some kind of connection.
Those connections are not sufficient, even if necessary. One may still want to give up, and there's no easy answer to the nihilist question. All I can offer is to note that you haven't given up already and therefore have some intution that there is some emotional state you might look for -- even though I assert that "meaning" isn't actually it.
[1] I'm actually using "happiness" as a shortcut for some generally positive emotional state, the kind where you don't feel morose and ask plaintively about "the meaningless of life". That state may not actually be "happy". "Satisfied" or "content" may be more accurate, but still incomplete, and "happy" conveys the notion better.