Human Capital –
An intangible freedom: the place of meaning in personal and professional Life
Human Capital –
An intangible freedom:
the place of
meaning in
personal and
professional Life
The injunction to give meaning…
or not to give it
Recently, during a conversation, someone told me that giving meaning to one’s professional life was of no use whatsoever. For her, working and earning money were sufficient for balance and happiness. That statement struck me.
We live in an era in which the search for meaning is omnipresent, almost having become an injunction on social media. Yet conversely, I realized that there exists another, quieter injunction: that of not giving meaning to one’s life, as if this need should be disqualified or minimized. As if wanting to give meaning to one’s life were an idealization, an unrealistic dream, a childish wish.
And yet, do we not often say that the greatest entrepreneurs are precisely those who respond to this call for meaning?
Why not simply allow everyone the freedom to give, or not give, meaning to their life, without judgment or hierarchy?
As is often the case, our society likes to polarize: black or white, good or bad, meaning or pragmatism, ideal or reality, depth or superficiality.
The injunction
to give meaning…
or not to give it
Recently, during a conversation, someone told me that giving meaning to one’s professional life was of no use whatsoever. For her, working and earning money were sufficient for balance and happiness. That statement struck me.
We live in an era in which the search for meaning is omnipresent, almost having become an injunction on social media. Yet conversely, I realized that there exists another, quieter injunction: that of not giving meaning to one’s life, as if this need should be disqualified or minimized. As if wanting to give meaning to one’s life were an idealization, an unrealistic dream, a childish wish.
And yet, do we not often say that the greatest entrepreneurs are precisely those who respond to this call for meaning?
Why not simply allow everyone the freedom to give, or not give, meaning to their life, without judgment or hierarchy?
As is often the case, our society likes to polarize: black or white, good or bad, meaning or pragmatism, ideal or reality, depth or superficiality.
Meaning and empathy
This reflection brings us back to a fundamental relational skill: empathy.
Not the kind that consists in agreeing with the other, but the kind that enables us to understand the other’s point of view through their lens.
Empathy could then be expressed as follows:
“If you need to give meaning to your life in order to be happy, I hear that. For my part, I do not need it to feel fulfilled.”
Empathy does not mean denying oneself, but acknowledging that our deepest needs may be different. Imposing one’s worldview on another has never been a healthy foundation for a balanced relationship.
Recognizing the diversity of needs also implies being able to own one’s own, without trying to convince or impose. In a lasting relationship, this above all requires the ability to take a step toward the other, with the aim of seeking compromise and connection.
The real question, then, is not who is right, but how far we are capable of welcoming difference, without excluding or rejecting it.
Meaning and empathy
This reflection brings us back to a fundamental relational skill: empathy.
Not the kind that consists in agreeing with the other, but the kind that enables us to understand the other’s point of view through their lens.
Empathy could then be expressed as follows:
“If you need to give meaning to your life in order to be happy, I hear that. For my part, I do not need it to feel fulfilled.”
Empathy does not mean denying oneself, but acknowledging that our deepest needs may be different. Imposing one’s worldview on another has never been a healthy foundation for a balanced relationship.
Recognizing the diversity of needs also implies being able to own one’s own, without trying to convince or impose. In a lasting relationship, this above all requires the ability to take a step toward the other, with the aim of seeking compromise and connection.
The real question, then, is not who is right, but how far we are capable of welcoming difference, without excluding or rejecting it.
“Meaning is neither judged nor imposed. Everyone is free to seek it, or not.”
“Meaning is neither judged nor imposed. Everyone is free to seek it, or not.”
How does the search
for meaning manifest itself?
For some, the quest for meaning arises naturally.
This is particularly true of the new generation, often referred to as the “generation of meaning,” which, having observed the model of their parents, frequently exhausted by years of work while waiting for a salvational retirement, has freed itself from the framework and expectations of society.
For some of them, giving meaning to one’s life is no longer negotiable. They therefore explore other paths: entrepreneurship, commitment to a cause, professional choices aligned with their values.
I observed this closely while supporting students from a leading engineering school over several years in their professional reflections. Many of them, particularly young men, envisioned a future in which high levels of responsibility could coexist with part-time work, in order to devote time to their family, their children, their sport, and their passions.
A profound paradigm shift.
How does the search for
meaning manifest itself?
For some, the quest for meaning arises naturally.
This is particularly true of the new generation, often referred to as the “generation of meaning,” which, having observed the model of their parents, frequently exhausted by years of work while waiting for a salvational retirement, has freed itself from the framework and expectations of society.
For some of them, giving meaning to one’s life is no longer negotiable. They therefore explore other paths: entrepreneurship, commitment to a cause, professional choices aligned with their values.
I observed this closely while supporting students from a leading engineering school over several years in their professional reflections. Many of them, particularly young men, envisioned a future in which high levels of responsibility could coexist with part-time work, in order to devote time to their family, their children, their sport, and their passions.
A profound paradigm shift.
When the search for
meaning becomes vital
Across all generations, seeking meaning in one’s life is not merely an opinion, a trend, or a whim. It is very often a fundamental need.
Even though we all know that a need can sometimes be fleeting, the search for meaning is never superficial or temporary. It touches our very being, at its deepest, most structuring level.
Some people may live for years without questioning meaning. Yet when it emerges, it becomes an inner necessity, impossible to ignore. The search for meaning then becomes urgent, important, vital.
For several years now, I have supported people in periods of questioning, leaders in gastronomy, entrepreneurs, executives…
They all share one thing in common: regardless of their apparent success, regardless of their level of comfort, at some point the question of meaning arises.
- Why do I work so much?
- Why do I feel that I no longer recognize myself in what I do?
- How can I rediscover a sincere drive?
- Can I still realize what truly makes me vibrate?
All of them sense that something must change or evolve.
The loss of meaning is often silent, internalized, unspoken.
A void, an inner fatigue, a suffering or invisible discomfort begins to settle in.
They perceive that they are no longer aligned with their profession, their field of activity, their role, or their ambitions.
When the search for
meaning becomes vital
Across all generations, seeking meaning in one’s life is not merely an opinion, a trend, or a whim. It is very often a fundamental need.
Even though we all know that a need can sometimes be fleeting, the search for meaning is never superficial or temporary. It touches our very being, at its deepest, most structuring level.
Some people may live for years without questioning meaning. Yet when it emerges, it becomes an inner necessity, impossible to ignore. The search for meaning then becomes urgent, important, vital.
For several years now, I have supported people in periods of questioning, leaders in gastronomy, entrepreneurs, executives…
They all share one thing in common: regardless of their apparent success, regardless of their level of comfort, at some point the question of meaning arises.
- Why do I work so much?
- Why do I feel that I no longer recognize myself in what I do?
- How can I rediscover a sincere drive?
- Can I still realize what truly makes me vibrate?
All of them sense that something must change or evolve.
The loss of meaning is often silent, internalized, unspoken.
A void, an inner fatigue, a suffering or invisible discomfort begins to settle in.
They perceive that they are no longer aligned with their profession, their field of activity, their role, or their ambitions.
The signal that it is now time to change
This unease may concern the professional sphere, but it often spills over into personal life. Because, contrary to what society sometimes seeks to make us believe, personal life and professional life are, and will always remain, intimately linked.
A feeling of suffocation, life imbalance, declared illness, painful separation, contained anger, a sense of misalignment… so many reasons to question the life one wishes to embody.
It is often events in personal life that come to awaken us, in addition to the discomfort already felt on a professional level.
This inner experience then calls for a real change. The famous signal. A vital need.
The sign that what we are living is no longer coherent with what we carry within us.
And it is at this moment that the search for meaning becomes a primary quest.
The signal that it is now
time to change
This unease may concern the professional sphere, but it often spills over into personal life. Because, contrary to what society sometimes seeks to make us believe, personal life and professional life are, and will always remain, intimately linked.
A feeling of suffocation, life imbalance, declared illness, painful separation, contained anger, a sense of misalignment… so many reasons to question the life one wishes to embody.
It is often events in personal life that come to awaken us, in addition to the discomfort already felt on a professional level.
This inner experience then calls for a real change. The famous signal. A vital need.
The sign that what we are living is no longer coherent with what we carry within us.
And it is at this moment that the search for meaning becomes a primary quest.
Giving meaning: an invitation,
not an injunction
Some will speak of an injunction to search for meaning.
For my part, I see it above all as an invitation.
An invitation to question, to adjust, to reconcile what we do with who we are.
Restoring meaning is often about restoring momentum, hope, joy. And that is priceless.
Everyone is free to respond, or not.
Just as one would accept or decline an invitation, without judgment.
For my part, giving meaning to my life has become an intimate necessity. It is a reference point, a way of fully inhabiting what I do and who I am. I state this not as a universal truth, but as a purely personal one.
Giving meaning:
an invitation,
not an injunction
Some will speak of an injunction to search for meaning.
For my part, I see it above all as an invitation.
An invitation to question, to adjust, to reconcile what we do with who we are.
Restoring meaning is often about restoring momentum, hope, joy. And that is priceless.
Everyone is free to respond, or not.
Just as one would accept or decline an invitation, without judgment.
For my part, giving meaning to my life has become an intimate necessity. It is a reference point, a way of fully inhabiting what I do and who I am. I state this not as a universal truth, but as a purely personal one.
My own journey
More than ten years ago, I myself went through this quest.
At the time, I held a comfortable position in a high-tech industry. On paper, everything was in place for me to be happy: an executive role, flexible hours, managers I respected, colleagues I appreciated, a satisfactory salary, profit-sharing bonuses, freedom of action in cross-functional missions… and yet something within me did not resonate. I was not aligned with what I wanted to embody. I was not in agreement with my values.
In 2013, I chose to leave everything behind and travel around the world for nearly a year. This time of movement, experiences, and encounters profoundly transformed my perspective. Meaning did not impose itself as an immediate answer. It was built step by step, notably through action and experimentation.
Since this personal journey, I have been supporting those who wish to restore meaning to their professional lives, drawing in particular on what I have learned. I created my own tools, my own method. Today, I help them identify and reveal their intangible wealth and potential, enabling them to build a life that is more just and more aligned.
In this spirit, I also support leaders, artists, artisans, companies, and institutions in embedding their activities and projects within a meaning-driven dynamic.
My objective: to prioritize substance over form, meaning over appearance.
My own journey
More than ten years ago, I myself went through this quest.
At the time, I held a comfortable position in a high-tech industry. On paper, everything was in place for me to be happy: an executive role, flexible hours, managers I respected, colleagues I appreciated, a satisfactory salary, profit-sharing bonuses, freedom of action in cross-functional missions… and yet something within me did not resonate. I was not aligned with what I wanted to embody. I was not in agreement with my values.
In 2013, I chose to leave everything behind and travel around the world for nearly a year. This time of movement, experiences, and encounters profoundly transformed my perspective. Meaning did not impose itself as an immediate answer. It was built step by step, notably through action and experimentation.
Since this personal journey, I have been supporting those who wish to restore meaning to their professional lives, drawing in particular on what I have learned. I created my own tools, my own method. Today, I help them identify and reveal their intangible wealth and potential, enabling them to build a life that is more just and more aligned.
In this spirit, I also support leaders, artists, artisans, companies, and institutions in embedding their activities and projects within a meaning-driven dynamic.
My objective: to prioritize substance over form, meaning over appearance.
“Giving meaning to one’s life is neither a trend nor a whim.”
“Giving meaning to one’s life is neither a trend nor a whim.”
And what comes next…
In a forthcoming article, I will describe more precisely what the search for meaning is, how it manifests concretely, and how to approach it without pressure or idealization.
When this quest becomes conscious, it deserves to be supported with care and accuracy.
Consultant, mentor, trainer, I offer tailored support to help you restore meaning to your projects, professions, roles, and ambitions. Contact me for more information.
And what comes next…
In a forthcoming article, I will describe more precisely what the search for meaning is, how it manifests concretely, and how to approach it without pressure or idealization.
When this quest becomes conscious, it deserves to be supported with care and accuracy.
Consultant, mentor, trainer, I offer tailored support to help you restore meaning to your projects, professions, roles, and ambitions. Contact me for more information.
