Hungry for Meaning: Why Comfort Doesn't Bring Happiness?

This article addresses the paradox of contemporary prosperity, in which, despite the elimination of material deprivations, Western societies struggle with a crisis of meaning. The author cites Arthur C. Brooks's concept of happiness as a composite of pleasure, satisfaction, and meaning. The text thoroughly analyzes the decomposition of meaning into three pillars: coherence, purpose, and significance. He argues that the technocratic triumph of civilization has provided us with comfort but has robbed us of a sense of deeper purpose, leading to an epidemic of emptiness. This work provides a diagnosis of the human condition in the age of digitalization and the attention economy, encouraging the search for eudaimonic well-being based on authentic values rather than the sterile consumption of stimuli.