I can’t quite remember when I first came across it, but ever since I heard someone describe humans as “meaning-seeking machines,” the phrase has stuck with me. The idea that people bestow meaning to their lives — and often do so despite their suspicions to the contrary — is profound . It’s something I think about frequently, especially during those moments when the universe’s chaotic and indifferent nature seems self-evident. When “a big nothing” feels like a reasonable description of life itself.

Which brings me to the Republican Party presidential debate held Wednesday night by CNN.* A glance at the initial wave of responses suggests that many in the media are trying to tease some greater meaning out of the event. But although humanity’s search for meaning can be inspiring, it can also be desperate. And now that the interminable debate is over, and now that the spotlight has moved from the podiums to the pundits, it appears we’re about to see what meaning-seeking desperation looks like up-close.

The media is trying to derive something valuable from those three hours of nonsense. It’s an effort in vain…