What is the meaning of life?

 I do not pose this question because I want the answer '42', but because it is a question that has more and more come to puzzle me over the years. And, to be clear, I do not mean that the answer (whatever you suggest) puzzles me, but that the question itself puzzles me.

I can definitely remember it in at least one formulation by a flatmate 40-odd years ago. Let us call her Liz. She had a sharp intelligence, a lust for life and an enthusiasm for all kinds of things, but I remember her saying "If there wasn't any meaning in life, why wouldn't you just kill yourself?"

I believe she had received a religious upbringing (C of E if I recall) but I do not know how much she cleaved to her faith at that age, early 20s. But the question brought me up short, as it seemed to be a very extreme version of 'What is the meaning of life?' As far as I know she is still alive, so either has found meaning or has perhaps changed the nature of her question. 

When you talk about the meaning of life, I suppose you could paraphrase it as 'Why am I here?' or 'What is my purpose on this planet apart from living and breathing and all that biological stuff?' And for many people that meaning comes from religion I suppose. We have been created to be good on the Earth, show charity and faith and worship our Creator, according to many religions. So the meaning here is an explanation of the past, the present and the future (if our religion holds to an after-life). 

For other non-religious people, meaning can be more existential (in the Sartre version) and we create our own meaning by what we do with our lives, with no higher power involved. I suppose that could work, but it does feel a little bit 'My car, my rules', where you decide on the meaning and invent it yourself, almost randomly. It might not convince everyone that this is the right kind of meaning. 

The biggest problem I have with the question is in the reason for the search for meaning. It does sound a little bit like the nagging 3-year-old who has just learnt the word 'Why?' and cannot stop using it. I can see that if you are looking at an obscure text you would be searching for meaning, or a piece of writing that you feel has a purpose below the surface text. I can see times when the search for 'meaning' is valid, but what exactly does the phrase 'meaning of life' mean to you anyway? Is it that without a users manual you feel you might make a mistake? Is it that when you look up at the stars you feel so insignificant that you need a bit of help with your identity or your self-respect? When you are sitting down having a nice beer - as I am at this moment - is meaning required? Can you not just enjoy the beer and finish it before it gets warm?

I am attracted by the idea that our ego overreaches and misapplies itself because self-consciousness has been so useful in other spheres of life. That it is so used to analysing things purposefully (or at least looking at them from the outside) that it over-generalises and asks a question that makes no sense. You are alive and here. You do things that make you happy, and not dead, and hopefully make other people happy, or at least not want to kill you. And beyond that, you can sit and muse on a chair at sunrise on the beach about the meaning of it all. Or - and this is my personal recommendation - you could just enjoy the sunrise. 

Any responses in the comments or on FB would be very welcome.