Beyond proper fit. Integrity, narrative and the meaning of life
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/lie.32105Keywords:
meaning of life, narrative, personal integrity, proper fit, cognitive dissonanceAbstract
This article analyses Joshua Seachris’s narrative theory of the meaning of life, which posits that meaning emerges when existentially relevant elements and questions (ERQ) achieve a “proper fit” within a coherent explanatory framework. The author indicates that while Seachris correctly emphasises the role of cognitive coherence, his model leaves space for a systematic account of the subjective dimension that determines whether a given narrative becomes a genuine “live option” for the individual. The primary aim of this paper is to demonstrate an interesting convergence between the criterion of “proper fit” and a philosophically enriched conception of personal integrity, inspired by the thought of J. Cottingham, E. Levinas, and J. Tischner. Through an analysis of the phenomenology of religious conversion and the ethical encounter with the Other, the article demonstrates that integrity understood in this way acts as an auxiliary filter, testing a narrative’s capacity for the holistic integration of “existentially weighty experiences” — such as love, suffering, or moral obligation — without reducing them. The paper concludes that incorporating personal integrity into the narrative model clarifies Seachris’s notion of “proper fit”.
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