Neuroexistentialism, living well, and true belief

Neuroexistentialism involves anxiety aggravated by burgeoning neuroscientific evidence that we are animals, nothing more. The anxiety is a response to felt conflict between manifest and scientific images: we might know, say, that heartbreak is the autonomic nervous system in turmoil, but describing or explaining it thus deprives it of meaning we crave. To respect the truth, however, entails rejection of extraneous description or explanation. Is it possible then to pursue scientific rigor while also living well, in a way that satisfies our need for meaning? We argue that both can be realized by pursuing what is good, beautiful and true, without a need to sacrifice truth. This is the case because a subset of self-related beliefs that aim away from the truth, when properly calibrated, can help align the world with what we desire to be true. Fortunately, for these beliefs to be effective assertion is unnecessary; wishful expression is enough.