Bear in mind I am not an expert hence why I ask the question; in hopes of encouraging dialog.
Try reverse engineering what you mean by the concept 'meaning'.
I will try my best to reverse engineer what I mean by the concept meaning(let this be a first pass attempt at inciting criticism):
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. {Being able to see similarity in otherwise unrelated topics} Using the knowledge acquired throughout life to compare with newfound knowledge to either instantly get some meaning or with thought, work it out.
The total sum of experience from birth to the present. {Just a tool to perform step one}
By asking something abstract and only using the accumulated information in ones memory it is possible to derive meaning from anything. {accumulated information being the total sum plus the newfound}
abstract impression = total sum[derivativeSimilarities]/newfound
answer = analogy derived from: abstract impression
integrated answer = answer ∫ newfound
integrated answer = meaning
I imagine this being a driver to our imagination which may lead to the ultimate question/s and answer/s.
I am guessing that seeds of meaning initiate when the quotient is obtained from derivativeSimilarities and newfound. Skipping a step or two we can use an integrated impression to drive a question for further knowledge.
The propagation of meaning can then be drawn from the answer and question laterally.
It also looks like this reverse engineers itself; in some obscure fashion.
So that covers the stuff that is kind of baffling me and I think I am making some sort of mistake and that is why I am not getting the result I want.
Classically:
When an equal amount is taken from equals, an equal amount results.
meaning = meaning
Analogy on the other hand is just confusing; how we can somehow end up with an invention based upon some partial derivative knowledge.
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If on the other hand I go with my mixing of concepts here, then it would possibly be where the concepts intersect or correlate.
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@Diebert van Rhijn -> yes indeed, lurking in the background is the question if it's meaningful to ask the question on meaning. "Right on" with the ambiguity in that we seem to use a lot of interpretation to derive meaning. So if interpretation is where meaning lies then there seems to be more than one version of truth(please disagree if you feel the need). The direction on the other hand may arrive at the definite like 1 + 1 = 2.
Mathematically I think it is like a system of equations where each equation or part of the system has the flexibility to be just a little different from its counterpart peers ending with some sort of normalization in the system. The resulting normalization being the derivative meaning.
Do you think that there is a limit to the representations anyway? ; for each individual? ; Meaningful ones I mean!
I am thinking that meaning is derived in some purely mental manner but I can see how this could be different depending on the factors involved ending up at such conceptual states like; did the tree in the woods really fall if no-one was there to witness it?
I am guessing meaning is somehow intertwined with the driving forces of life itself; possibly a bunch of quanta that somehow link. Apparently in the "quantum world" - correlation can imply causation.
The question is intended to be of the open type(ambiguous). Maybe I don't even understand the meaning of the question that I seek the answer to. My attempt at some poorly delivered humor. Maybe the question and answer are circular dependencies.
:)