Do things or concepts or objects have inherent meaning or is meaning just a construct assigned by people?

[msc545]

[MisterWack]

Meaning is a construct assigned by intelligent life.

I say intelligent life because animals, humans, and aliens (there’s a vast universe out there) all have the ability to assign meaning to things, concepts, or objects.

A bird that wants to nest for its mate, will put meaning in the perfect material for nesting. Even unconventional man made or ones of human origin too, not just sticks.

A human intrigued with a pig bladder, decides to one day “inflate it” which puts meaning into the object turning it into a ball for people to play with.

That is at least how I view it.

[msc545]

My cat Alister asks: How do you know that meaning isn't a construct assigned by cats?

[MisterWack]

@msc545 Hmmm, good question lol.
Well when cats hunt for rats and birds out of boredom, they’ll associate it with a “prize” worthy of showing their owner to impress them or to keep them fed the way that they feed them? (Tbh I don’t know, the other analogies flowed beautifully through my brain, this was hard lmao).

[msc545]

I ask my cat, Alister, who tells me that he associates it with dinner.

[MisterWack]

@msc545 Purrrfect.

[msc545]

Alister sends his compliments.

[NathanDavis]

meaning is always a perception or interpretation made by someone...

what does something mean... is always defined by someone... that's just perspective

and that's just how brains relate to one another and everything around it... and it's not just people, but other animals as well.. they can also find a meaning on stuff, as well as purpose, both

[msc545]

Is the origin of meaning within objects or is it within our brains?

[NathanDavis]

I would say our brains... given the fact, that... different groups of people might give a different meaning to the same objects

[msc545]

I think you were right. The very same object or concept can mean very different things to different people suggesting that meaning has a lot of plasticity.

[thegreenyogi]

I would say a bit of both. I think it's open to much different interpretation depending on whether you choose to follow meaning in it's literal form or give objects or concepts a meaning according to your own beliefs or experiences.

[msc545]

What would be an example of the literal form of meaning?

[thegreenyogi]

Example= You are inflexible= literally one would think it means that you are so stiff you can't bend physically.

If we look at this figuratively or metaphorically it means that you are seeing a concept from only one point of view and you are not open seeing things differently.

Nothing means only one thing.

[msc545]

I was talking about external objects or things, not concepts or emotions.

[thegreenyogi]

Thank you!!

[Sevenpointfive]

the concept of a gesture. gifts given definitely have inherent meaning, but constructed when the gift is tradition (passing a peace pipe, white flags). sometimes the gift of herpes is neither. it just is. but herpes sores have meaning and aren't a construct beyond definition.

[msc545]

How does meaning arise?

[slatyb]

They have no intrinsic meaning. As far as we know, nothing does.