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Fortunately and unfortunately, we've been dealt a higher level of intelligence. This is good, because it allows us to solve complex problems. This is bad, because it allows us to struggle to find more than what there is.
Obviously, I could be wrong and there could be a higher power. But I've seen no signs of it in my lifetime.
A lot of this just comes down to a person's values. There will be a lot of difference in individual opinion and perspective on this.
I feel that progress, evolution, as a species is towards more peace and less suffering and destruction. More kindness, less violence against each other. Wiser custodianship of our home planet, less destruction there. A better balance between individual self interest and communal action for the overall good. We struggle to break out of extremes. Extremes are where harm often lies.
While a lot of this seems at first glance more "high level" than mere survival, survival often hinges on how these things are managed by populations. Hell, right now, a lot of people absolutely refuse to see the interests of humanity on a species wide scale, and hold fast to "us/them" where us can be at most a single nation or maybe a coalition of them...or at least just their own household or self.
An interesting "meaning of life" concept that I stumbled upon years ago, was the concept of the immortality project. For individual humans, often the understanding that we have of reality beyond our own lifespan leads us to want to leave something behind for when we are no longer alive. That is often children...but could be creative work. (See the musical, "Sunday In The Park With George" where there is a part about how the only things that matter are children and art.) Or in some cases, the amassing of wealth to leave a legacy of security to one's heirs. Passing some kind of landmark legislation or brokering a peace or winning a war. I think that many of us feel we'd like to make the world a better place, but our definition of that and how we think we might go about it often differs a lot.
In your opinion, what is the meaning of life for the human species?
In my opinion:
Survival and evolution of human being.
Permanence of past and current individual consciousness in the consciousness of future humans.
The meaning of life on this earth is God's gift to humans. He wanted us to multiply and use the earth and most of all, to enjoy our lives. He wants us to have peace and happiness, but He also knows there will be sadness, sorrow, grief and other bad things. Those things are none of His doing, but He is there for us should be go through any of that.
The world is beautiful. The sky, nature, animals and birds, the ocean, the meadows, everything was put here for us to enjoy. A very wonderful gift from God, then we return to HIM.
I think people tend to have a rather elevated notion of what they want to contribute to the world and nearly always fall short of it because very few people leave a mark that will be widely remembered. Even a Ghandi or a Hitler will scarcely we thought of in another thousand years.
If they were to build a statue honoring me in the city park, the pigeons would just crap on it anyway.
Thankfully we can contribute and find meaning and purpose without it having to be some grandiose accomplishment. It is just everyday things. Getting up in the middle of the night to help your child that's in distress. Rescuing your neighbor's garbage can from the street. Being kind to a cashier or other frontline worker. Reliably showing up every day for the people who count on you, and maybe some who don't.
I prefer to just do my tiny proportional bit, which, if all eight billion of us would do that, the world would be a paradise. But alas.
Seriously though, very little - we are infinitesimal in the scheme of the universe or multiverse. The only meaning is to take some joy out of being here for a short while and to try to enjoy those around you and make a positive net difference even though that will be small too.
Humans developed a unique ability to apply hidden meanings to the facts around them. These hidden meanings are not found in dictionaries. Humans also developed the unique ability to decide which facts are meaningful. Deciding if something is meaningful is usually not found in a "how to find meaning in life" handbook, though religious and self-help books have tried.
Basically, if a child cries, we can ignore it and treat it no differently than a leaf falling from a tree. Or we can go to the child and find out the meaning behind it.
"Many people may doubt that finding God is the purpose of life; but everyone can accept the idea that the purpose of life is to find happiness. I say that God is Happiness. He is Bliss. He is Love. He is Joy that will never go away from your soul. So why shouldn’t you try to acquire that Happiness? No one else can give it to you. You must continuously cultivate it yourself." - Paramahansa Yogananda
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