This post gives some useful vocabulary about the topic "What Gives Life Meaning? A Look at Giving and Receiving"

Basic Vocabulary for Discussion

Core Ideas

Meaning: Why something is important; its purpose or value.

Life: The time when a person is alive; existence.

Lies in: Is found in; exists in.

Value: How important or useful something is.

Key Words from the Quote

Give / Giving: To let someone have something; to help.

Devote / Devoting: To give a lot of your time or energy to something.

Receive / Receiving: To get something.

Demand / Demanding: To ask for something very strongly; to expect something.

Related Helpful Words

Purpose: The reason for doing something; a goal.

Contribute: To give something (like help, money, or ideas) to a common goal.

Effort: The energy you use to do something.

Share: To let others use or have something you also have.

Help: To make something easier for someone.

Support: To help someone emotionally or practically.

People and Feelings

Giver: A person who likes to give.

Receiver: A person who gets something.

Selfish: Thinking mostly about your own needs.

Selfless: Thinking mostly about the needs of others.

Grateful / Gratitude: Feeling thankful.

Fulfilling: Making you feel happy and satisfied.

Other Useful Words

Action: Doing something.

Benefit: A good result; something helpful.

Balance: A state where things are equal or in the right amount.

Expect: To think something will happen.

Sacrifice: To give up something important for something else.

Helpful Phrases

Make a difference: To have a good effect.

Think about others: To consider other people's feelings.

Give back: To help in return for help you got.

On the other hand: A phrase used to show a different idea.

In my opinion: What I think or believe.

Advanced Vocabulary for Discussion (C1-C2 Level)

Core Conceptual Terms

Fulfillment: A deep sense of satisfaction and happiness from achieving potential or purpose.

Altruism: The principle or practice of selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Legacy: Something handed down or remaining from a previous generation or one's own life's work.

Interconnectedness: The state of all things being mutually connected and dependent.

Enrichment: The act of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something.

Nuanced Actions and States

To dedicate: To devote wholly and earnestly, as to a person or purpose.

To contribute: To give (something, such as time, knowledge, or effort) to a common purpose or fund.

To derive (meaning/purpose): To obtain or receive something from a specified source.

To cultivate: To try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill).

To transcend: To go beyond the limits of; to rise above.

To reciprocate: To respond to a gesture or action by making a corresponding one.

Abstract Qualities and Philosophies

Self-actualization: The realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities.

Mutuality: The sharing of feelings, actions, or relationships between two or more parties.

A philosophical tenet: A principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a theory or philosophy.

Intrinsic motivation: Drive to act that comes from internal rewards, from the activity itself.

Extrinsic motivation: Drive to act that comes from external rewards or pressures.

A symbiotic relationship: An interaction between two different organisms living in close association, to the advantage of both.

Critical Perspectives

A dichotomy: A division or contrast between two things that are presented as opposed or entirely different.

To nuance: To give subtle differences or distinctions to a concept or argument.

A paradox: A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true.

An inherent tension: A conflict or strain that is a permanent, natural part of a situation or idea.

To negate/nullify: To make ineffective or invalid; to deny the truth of.

Evaluative Language

A cornerstone: An important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based.

A simplistic view: An interpretation that is overly simple and fails to account for complexity.

A compelling argument: An persuasive or convincing line of reasoning.

A profound impact: A very great or deep effect.

To warrant consideration: To deserve serious thought or attention.

Useful Phrases for Discourse

On a philosophical level: Concerning fundamental theories and ideas.

It begs the question: This raises or prompts a particular question.

To strike a balance: To find a compromise between two conflicting things.

A holistic perspective: An approach that considers the whole system, not just its parts.

To challenge the premise: To question the foundational assumption of an argument.

Advanced Vocabulary for Discussion (Postgraduate Level)

Core Conceptual Vocabulary

Edification: The moral or intellectual improvement of a person through instruction or experience.

Inextricably linked: Connected in such a complex or essential way that separation is nearly impossible.

A conduit (for meaning): A means of transmitting or channeling something intangible.

A wellspring (of purpose): A continuous and abundant source.

A teleological perspective: A viewpoint concerned with the ultimate purpose or end goal of an existence or action.

Confer (meaning/purpose): To grant or bestow something non-material, such as significance.

Nuanced Verbs and Actions

To espouse (a philosophy): To adopt or support a particular belief, theory, or cause.

To propagate (an idea): To spread and promote an idea, theory, etc., widely.

To embody (a principle): To represent an idea or quality in a tangible or visible form.

To temper (a belief): To moderate or restrain the intensity of a principle, making it more balanced.

To beget: To give rise to; to bring about as a consequence.

To eschew: Deliberately avoid using or abstaining from.

Qualities and Dispositions

A magnanimous disposition: A generous and forgiving nature, especially toward a rival or less powerful person.

Benevolence: The quality of being well-meaning; kindness.

An empathetic engagement: A deep, understanding involvement characterized by the ability to share another's feelings.

A proclivity (for altruism): A natural tendency or inclination toward selfless behavior.

Self-aggrandizement: The action or process of making oneself appear powerful or important.

A transactional mindset: An approach that views interactions primarily as exchanges of benefits.

Critical Analysis and Discourse

A reductive interpretation: An explanation that oversimplifies a complex idea, losing important nuances.

To posit: To put forward as a fact or basis for argument; to assume.

A tacit assumption: An idea that is implied or understood without being directly stated.

A normative statement: A claim about how things ought to be, expressing a value judgment.

To interrogate (an idea): To examine an idea or theory critically and thoroughly.

To be commensurate with: Corresponding in size, extent, or degree; proportionate.

Evaluative and Descriptive Language

An indispensable component: An element that is absolutely necessary and cannot be dispensed with.

A salient point: A particularly notable or important feature.

A pervasive theme: A subject or idea that is present and spread throughout.

A facile conclusion: A judgment that is reached too easily, lacking depth or serious consideration.

To have profound ramifications: To possess deep, wide-ranging, and significant consequences.

A tenuous connection: A weak, slender, or insubstantial link.

Useful Phrases for Sophisticated Argument

To lend credence to: To make an idea or belief more believable or credible.

At its core, the proposition...: Fundamentally, the idea being suggested...

This line of reasoning, while compelling, potentially...: This argument, though persuasive, may...

It is incumbent upon us to consider...: It is our duty or responsibility to think about...

The notion rests upon the premise that...: The idea is founded on the assumption that...