Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?

(This is a serious question, despite my username)

There are plenty of studies that show that having a "purpose" and working after it is correlated with higher happiness or well being. "Purpose" is vague enough, so to make things worse I am going to conflate it with "life meaning", "calling" or "personal values". I recently came across the Japanese "Ikigai" which seems related.

Ok, I buy this, however, what is this "purpose/ meaning/ calling/ value" thing? What does it mean, really? How do I find mine?

I think this is the kind of thing a fair amount of people here in HN have thought about, so I thought of asking.

Is there any research that goes into what is "purpose" and how to figure it out? I've come across plenty that talks about how good it is, but nothing that goes into how to find it. Any serious books that you may recommend?

Personally, I think Allan Watts has some interesting things to say on the topic.

> I think Allan Watts has some interesting things to say on the topic.

One example which comes to mind, from his "The Book":

The man behind the microscope has this advice for you: instead of asking what it is just as "what does it do?"

I concur. A mushroom or LSD trip in nature is the quintessential human experience and has been immensely helpful even for those than never continued use of the substance.

The trouble is you are using the word "my". It's only when you lose yourself in someone else (or something else) that you find yourself.