I think most people find purpose either in religions or in generalized religions (altruism, consumerism, political activism) or simply in having a family. Starting a family is definitely the safest bet, probably long term too because these ideologies tend to lose their appeal over time. But hey, I don't even seek happiness myself. I'd be glad to just know WTF all this was about before I die. Being some 10^28 particle…
Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
101–110 of 239 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#102From my own search on this topic: Science can only do so much with the 'internal' meaning. All people I've read are inadequate or point to religion. Religions, across the board, sure seems to be solely focused on purpose and meaning. If you want purpose outside yourself, I'd look to a religion or a group that functions similarly. I dug Alan Watts and the like for awhile. More recently have liked St Augustine and othe…
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#103Preface: I feel at peace, and guided by inner purpose now. Experience has taught me that all is fleeting, so I am quite confident there will a time where I don't feel this way. Therefore, take all I am about to write with a grain of salt, even as it applies to my experience. These thoughts all reset on certain "spiritual" assumptions that are true in my experience. I ask that you use discipline in your thinking and clarify what is true to you and your experience and not assume that anything I say is supposed to be taken as true, for you, or in any absolute sense.
Everything seems a bit paradoxical to me these days.
Purpose appears to be something that just is, like a knife's (primary) purpose is to cut, an apple tree's purpose is to bear apples, and somewhere far removed in complexity, each human has a purpose that is as clear as those two examples. Simultaneously, we/consciousness possess or appears to possess some kind of free will, or ability to chose that allows us some latitude in defining our purpose.
The proverbial fruit in the Biblical garden of eden story is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I have come to interpret that as marking a turning point where animals became "man" and "woman", because our purpose was no longer sole encoded in our biology, but something changed where we could chose to work in alignment, or against our biology.
As beings with free will, but also living in or as biological machines, we have this dual existence where some of our purpose is given to us, as certain genetic differences manifest as "advantages" in certain areas of life, and we are also free to steer our lives. Expand genetics to include our environment, "nurture", and even "karma" (why are two identical twins often so different?, and we are always existing in a certain state, with some hardware (our bodies including brains), and software (our minds, emotions, any woo stuff you're into). This is where we "find" our purpose, as it is something inherent to the nature of the state of our system. However, I'd argue that as beings with free will, we can introspect and sculpt this state and also create our purpose, by changing the hardware and software that we experience "the world" through.
To summarize that, we are both spirit (consciousness with free will), and also biology, so "finding" a purpose to me has been balancing and harmonizing what is currently true with my desires and intentions, knowing that even my desires and intentions come through the user interface that is our biology.
The following statements might sound like platitudes, and yet for me they have been immensely transformative.
No amount of pure thinking ever got me anywhere. At some point, lived experience was (and continues to be) the only way "forward". Our minds are only maps to some extent, and until we've walked the territory, it's all just conjecture. I can't overstate how important good food, sleep, exercise, meditation, and "inner work" have been. It's been so important to just be present in the moment, in my body, with my feelings and emotions. The present is all there ever is, so being there seems rather important.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#104I think your purpose is to overcome evil. Most of the evil that we have the ability to overcome is internal and if everyone did that the world would be a much better place.
In reading The Gulag Archipelago there is a part where the author has spent chapter after chapter describing the horrible conditions of the prison he is. It seems like a horrible place. A place where there can be no meaning, no hope for those inside it. Then he says this:
“Bless you, prison!”
I . . . have served enough time there.
I nourished my soul there, and I say without hesitation: “Bless you, prison, for having been in my life!
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/aleks...
You see he realized that prison had given him the humility to see the flaws in his own character and to deal with those flaws. He felt much better off having been through that and transformed by it.
Many of us try to find meaning in things that inspire us or make us feel good. But if we find meaning in the the things that transform us into something better we can find joy in even the most horrible circumstances. We can truly become someone better.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#105You can't force something to be your "why", it has to be natural, so if you haven't found it yet just keep exploring and enjoying the journey.
The older I get the more I find acceptance plays a role in all of this. At some point you may have make the choice to accept what you have and what you don't, embrace it, and let yourself be happy putting your all into that little universe. This doesn't have to conflict with having goals/dreams either!
Introspection through meditation can be helpful for this sort of stuff too.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#106[0]: https://www.esalen.org/podcasts/abraham-maslows-1966-lecture...
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#107I take issue with traditional advice on the subject-- it's all self-centered. Finding MY purpose. MY life meaning. MY values. The path to getting there involves MY consumption of , acquisition of wealth, influence, or other forms of self-indulgence. Everything is about MY happiness. Consider that perhaps you don't find your "calling." Instead, it finds you. The only "trick" here is that you have to be reachable by pu…
I couldn’t disagree more with regard to missionary work.
Having someone tell me why their sky friend needs to be in my life is outright offensive. I get a fair few US 20-25 year olds trying this crap out at my home in Auckland, New Zealand.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#108Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#109Some are lucky to find it quickly, others it takes awhile.
For me it has shifted as I’ve grown.
In my past I’ve been: A Christian preacher A Navy submarine sailor A wedding DJ A cyber security guy for the feds A software engineer
I’ve been lucky to find fulfillment in my work, my mission. Other ways I’ve found is to give back in some way. For example I use my technical talents to help secure police and 911 systems for my state as a volunteer, others help at shelters or with disaster relief. Others still are big brothers and big sisters. Some find it in religion.
It’s hard to feel unfulfilled when you’re making the world a better place. It’s a good place to start.
Take the scenic route through life, give freely of yourself to others, in this you will find peace.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#110The "purpose" question is easier when someone is trying to kill you - your purpose is to survive. If you zoom out in time and space, considering the Fermi paradox, humanity is in a "default dead" state. This would be true even if climate change, nuclear war, etc was off the table. This implies that humanities purpose is to survive, against all odds. So, if someone is trying to kill you, survive. If they aren't (and I…
This doesn’t tickle me. Maybe if I imagined myself as an Asimov character.