Matters of Meaning

Matters of Meaning is a podcast for anyone who’s ever paused to ask, “Is this it?” or “What really matters to me?” Together, we'll explore the big questions — what makes life meaningful, and why that matters. Across cultures and disciplines, one truth stands out: it’s not wealth or status that drives us, but meaning. In each episode, I sit down with people who are asking bold questions & rethinking what matters — in their work, creativity, and everyday lives. This podcast isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about the inquiry!

Matters of Meaning is a society podcast hosted by Olivia Hicks, with 15 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Olivia Hicks hosts Matters of Meaning, a society show with 15 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  The Power of the Humble Smile - with Aldous Hicks

  Mar 1, 202615 minS1

  <p>“Give a smile to someone who needs it.”</p><p><br></p><p>Can a single, repeated sentence change how you move through the world? To wrap up Series 2 of Matters of Meaning, host Olivia Hicks is joined by a very special guest: their father, Aldous Hicks. </p><p><br></p><p>For years, this simple phrase was the final thing Olivia heard every morning before school. It was a small daily ritual, but as it turns out, its impact was anything but small. In this bonus episode, Olivia and Aldous sit down to unpack these words and explore why...

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  Episode #6

  How to Live Meaningfully: Practices for Work, Ritual & Community – with Jeffrey Hanson

  Feb 15, 202651 minS2

  <p>If happiness isn’t the goal, what practices actually make life meaningful?</p><p><br></p><p>In Part 2 of my conversation with philosopher Jeffrey Hanson, we move beyond definitions to explore how meaning is actually cultivated in the messy reality of daily life. We discuss why a meaningful life is often the opposite of a purely productive one, and why “getting more done” is rarely the answer to feeling fulfilled.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, we explore:</p>The Work Trap: Why “workism” threatens flourishing, and how “job crafting” can help us reconnect our work to a larger se...

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  Episode #6

  What Makes a Life Meaningful, Really?

  Feb 2, 202646 minS1

  <p>Is meaning a mystery — or something we can actually measure?</p><p><br></p><p>In Part One of this special series on Matters of Meaning, Olivia Hicks is joined by philosopher Jeffrey Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program, for a deeply human and surprisingly practical conversation about what really makes life meaningful.</p><p><br></p><p>We often talk about “finding meaning” as if it were a lucky accident or an elusive and private inner feeling. But what if meaning has a structure — one that can be studied, clarified, and even measured?</p><p><br></p><...

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  Episode #5

  The Power of Everyday Creativity — with Camille Sharara

  Jan 18, 202648 minS2

  <p>When was the last time you created something just for yourself — without the pressure of a deadline, a grade, or an audience?</p><p><br /></p><p>In this episode of Matters of Meaning, host Olivia Hicks sits down with sustainable business strategist and artist Camille Sharara. Together, they dismantle the myth that creativity is reserved for “professional artists” and explore it as a vital human process for healing, connection, and meaning.</p><p><br /></p><p>Whether you consider yourself creative or haven’t picked up a creative practice in years, this conversation is an invitation to rediscover making a...

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  Episode #4

  Life’s “Third Dimension”: Why Happiness and Morality Aren’t Enough — with Susan Wolf

  Jan 4, 202646 minS2

  <p>What if happiness isn’t enough… and morality isn’t either? </p><p>Philosopher Susan Wolf argues that a meaningful life can’t be reduced to feeling good or being “good.” So what actually is meaning, and why do we need it?</p><p>Welcome back to Matters of Meaning. I’m Olivia Hicks, and today I’m joined by one of the most influential philosophers of our time: Susan Wolf. A Professor at UNC–Chapel Hill and author of the modern classic Meaning in Life and Why It Matters, Susan argues that meaningfulness is a distinct and vital dimension of a lif...

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