Social Meaning Format

We humans don't live long.   But we'd like to live longer and longer.  Is it possible to do this?

Society has found a way--by becoming members of institutions and by becoming members of organizations so that we pass the baton on to the next generation.  We take on meaning into the future because we have joined social institutions and  organizations that continue to exist long after us.  We have indorsed these social systems while living so as to continue to be remembered as one of their members.  Indeed, there may be a book, e.g., a yearbook, that indicates the meaning we gave to some school or university; or a book of illustrious workers in a factory that contains our picture!.  We were meaningful to those with whom we worked  or went to school with while alive.  The institution is glad for us and for what we did  then to help it succeed.  We mean something in the life of the organization  and  it has meant something to  us.      

I am using  "institution" to include an educative component and a professional standards' repository element.  An organization does not usually include these, but organizations are where we individuals practice our crafts and exercise our training; and from whom, incidentally, we get paid!

There is a general formula which expresses social meaning:  a has meaning to b whenever there is an institution x to which both a and b come into transactional relationship.      

According to this analysis, a VIP, a very important person, is one who has membership in many organizations, many of whom recognize his contribution, and thus will recognize him into the future life of the particular organization. .Thus, he has accumulated a significant degree of social meaning, beyond the norm.