answer:Essential? Essential carries an implication that one would die without it. In a relatively benign existence, where the basic essentials of needs (physiological, and most needs regarding safety), no, one does not need a concept of the meaning of life. And I would posit that one does not need a meaning of life of any sort until many basic needs are met and the individual has an expectation that they can continue to be met. Viktor Frankl did point out that Man’s Search For Meaning gives a reason for one to continue in the face of unrelenting horror and catastrophe. But it is not essential for a quotidian life.