Will We Find Real Meaning in Life – or Just Waste Time on Arguing?

October 17, 2017

WRITER

Are you struggling to live through today, or do you know someone who’s struggling?

On Monday’s show, Glenn talked about a friend whose young daughter tried to commit suicide and wondered how we can help people who have no meaning in their lives.

“We are looking at a generation and people that are searching for meaning,” he said of young Americans.

Glenn asked some sobering questions about how we invest our time. How much do you spend on what matters most to you, and how much do you spend on things that are ultimately meaningless? Are you pursuing difficult things that matter, or settling for easy distractions instead?

“Think of the things that truly have meaning in your life,” Glenn said. “Did they come to you easily?”

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: I was at church yesterday. And a friend came up.

I said, how was your week?

She said, not good. My daughter tried to commit suicide on Friday.

I don't know about your church. But mine is facing several in that net, that web.

We are -- we are looking at a generation and people that are searching for meaning.

I want you to listen carefully, if you're one of these people. Because I consider myself one of these people.

What really has meaning? What truly has meaning in your life?

And how much of your day is spent on that? And how much of your day is spent on stuff that is really meaningless?

How much of our day is spent on arguing or -- I mean, I think it's almost like we're -- we're addicted to anger.

We're addicted to the fight on something, because it gives us meaning. It gives us purpose, it gives us something to fight for. Because we don't know what's real.

We don't know really what's happening to us. And what we're doing -- at the same time we're fighting for these things and we're struggling in our own self to find meaning, if we're lucky enough, we're old enough to have had some meaning in our life, have had something real in our life.

Maybe we don't have it anymore, but we did at one point. And so we know it's possible.

I think our youth, they don't even know it's possible. They don't know that anything has any value.

And this comes from never having to fight for somebody, never having to fight for something. Never -- never losing something. Never losing a game. Never coming in last. Never made to feel uncomfortable.

Think of the things that truly have meaning in your life.

Did they come to you easily?

Think of the things that truly have meaning in your life. Were they cheap?

We are living in a -- you know that -- right before you get to the cashier, what do you call it? Place where it's just all the candy.

That's -- I feel like that's what life is to Americans right now. Oh, you know what, I want that.

Yeah, I'm just going to throw that in there too. Without all the shopping, without having to make the list, without having to pull it in the car or anything else. It's just, it's right there. I want it. I'm going to grab it.

And if I can't pay for it, don't worry. I've got a card for everything.

Have you ever bought anything in the checkout counter, in the checkout line that had meaning?

That you, in the end, cherished, that you wanted to pass on?

Nothing. This is happening to us because we're trying to make life comfortable. And there is no meaning in -- in all comfort.

Life is uncomfortable. Life requires endurance. Endurance implies, there's tough times. And we're trying to take those things away from everyone. And it's what's making our life meaningless.

You know, in America, we think that we can protest and ban and tear down and rip up and legislate our way out of anything bad or anything uncomfortable.

We're going to find a way. Biloxi School District just banned the book To Kill a Mockingbird.

Now, they've just banned that from the eighth grade curriculum. The students were in the middle of studying it. And the school board vice president said there were parents that were complaining about it because there's language in this book that makes people uncomfortable.

We can teach them the same lesson in another way, that's not uncomfortable.

Wait. What?

Thomas the Tank? Is that -- I mean, is that -- hey, here's Thomas. He's going to talk about racism. He's going to talk about lynching.

It should make you uncomfortable.

Life is really pretty easy. People are complex. We should understand that the world is very complex because there are billions of people in it.

Racial injustice in the early 20th century America should make you uncomfortable.

How is that not a good way to tell your children -- do you know -- have you ever read Grimm Fairy Tales? Have you ever read the actual fairytales?

They're not happy.

Hansel and Gretel don't make it out of the house. I mean -- and why were they written that way? To teach children that life is brutal, unless you pay attention.

I don't know what you're going to do in Biloxi. If you're in that area, call the school district, but in a respectful manner. Suggest that they stop cowering to the tyranny and have some common sense. Teach our children that life is uncomfortable.

The uncomfortability of struggle is what gives your life meaning. Ask anyone. Ask anyone.

Their fondest memories most likely, when they just got married and they were struggling to make it. Why? Because they learned so much. We're getting tired, but we're tired because we're fighting and it doesn't seem like anything has any meaning.

We're fighting -- look how hard we have fought since September 11th, for our country. And all the people that we put our faith in, it doesn't look like they actually meant it.

So you're tired, because you feel like you didn't do anything of meaning. But you did. You're just not seeing it. You're not seeing it. You changed the lives of your children. There's nothing more important than that.

I'd like to point out that, you know, studying To Kill a Mockingbird promotes the exact kind of virtues and conversation that we're in desperate need of today.

Also, School District in Biloxi, you might also know that generations of Americans have studied To Kill a Mockingbird. And somehow or another, we have all managed to survive our uncomfortableness.

There is this movement in America, into one giant pansy pillow line safe space. There's no such thing as a safe space!

I was teaching in church a couple of months ago. And I asked -- I was teaching actually during the week. I was teaching the young adults the 16, 17, 18-year-olds.

Said, tell me what sanctuary means. Why did people -- you saw Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Disney cartoon. Why was Esmeralda always screaming, sanctuary, sanctuary? Because the church was a safe space. Wait a minute. Safe space. Was it a safe space?

Is church supposed to be a safe space? No!

Church should be a predictable place. But church should be the place where you come -- it's a hospital, man.

It's where you come and you're struggling. And somebody will tell you the truth. Not make you feel better.

But tell you the truth. And here's the truth: It's really not that hard.

It's really simple. You follow just a few simple rules. And you work hard. And you question with boldness.

And you don't accept excuses from yourself. And you stop looking for safe spaces.

We would have never gone to the moon because the moon is not a safe space. We would have never, ever gone into space, because it's chilly, I hear.

We would have never, ever come to America -- I know half the country seemingly would be happy about that. But look at the blessings of America.

We would never explore the highest mountains. We would most likely never get married or have children. Because think of the heartache that you have endured because you fell in love.

Think of the heartache you endured because you had a child. Would you change that for anything?

That heartache is -- those are stripes I am proud to wear. Because those children gave my life meaning.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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