How do you find meaning as an atheist?

[Faith No More]

As I mentioned in a separate thread, I'm quite surprised to find that so many of you see no potential meaning in life at all. But anyway I said I would explain how I find meaning, so here goes.

The way I find meaning in life is to avoid the use of analytic thinking in that area and instead utilize more subjective and emotionally-informed ways of thinking. I don't see this as a lack of reason, because rationally I know that having a sure direction is something that I personally crave, and that depends on a well-developed sense of meaning in my own life. Without that meaning, I can't operate. A "lack" of reason would imply that the area is deficient in rational thinking when in reality I think there is just enough, any more and it would be too much.

Yes. Too much reason, there is such a thing.

This sounds suspiciously like a theistic argument. I'm not saying you're secretly trying to push that, but you're advocating the same "look to your feelings" thought process.

I don't see why you feel the need to avoid too much reasoning to find meaning. Sure, emotions are ultimately what dictate the meaning we find, but not because we use them to determine what makes life meaningful. No, we discover what gives us meaning by understanding what gives us emotional pleasure, and that understanding comes through reason.