Maybe you'll enjoy a story of my own journey toward purpose that lead me to quit tech to become a therapist: http://glench.com/WhyIQuitTechAndBecameATherapist/
Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
51–60 of 239 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#52From 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…
That's fair, and what little I've come across seems to agree.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#53I 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 putting yourself out there, and keeping in mind that you're fishing, not hunting. Coming back empty-handed is not a sign of failure, it's one round in a process of elimination.
Volunteer work is a good start, missionary work is even better. Or pick up a holiday shift in retail or a temp job. Help out at homeless outreach, animal control and domestic violence centers. Attend a service at a church, a temple and a mosque. Go on a ride-along with the local cops. Visit your national parks and memorials.
Most of this is an exercise in forced association with people and situations you'd otherwise overlook-- you'll hang out with the poor, the wealthy, the criminal, the pious, and everything in-between enough to at least get a sense for the breadth of the struggles of the human condition-- and present you with a buffet of experiences broad enough to encounter a perspective that resonates with you.
My pet theory is that triumph over struggle is the real driver of happiness and the only universal purpose any of us have. Once people transcend the struggle, there is nothing left for them to overcome, and they never again feel any sense of satisfaction.
ESID, and not everyone is meant for servitude, but it works for me. Best of luck to you.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#54Values come first.
Purpose is then to live a life where you don’t compromise on your values.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#55The "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…
Why are you concerned with the far future of humanity when millions of people don't have access to food, safe shelter, and clean drinking water?
I agree with you that we should allow our descendants to ask the purpose question, but there are much more urgent issues.
Our purpose should be to first eliminate basic human suffering in the present, and then expand our time horizons periodically after that. These problems are solvable. We can become a post-scarcity society.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#56Values come first. Purpose is then to live a life where you don’t compromise on your values.
How do you decide which values to prioritize?
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#57The "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…
Survival & reproduction.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#58You should read Carl Newport thoughts on "finding your passion" on "So Good They Can't Ignore You":
His thoughts on "finding your passion" are that most people don’t have a clear passion to follow, and that we don’t have evidence having a job based on an interest makes you more likely to find that work satisfying. He believes that is better to master valuable niche skills and then use them as leverage to steer your work to directions that resonate with you.
He also has develop a framework for life called Deep Life where he separates the Deep Life into 4 areas: Community (family, friends, etc.), Craft (work and quality leisure), Constitution (health), and Contemplation (matters of the soul).
"To me, the deep life is about focusing with energetic intention on things that really matter — in work, at home, and in your soul — and not wasting too much attention on things that don’t". – Cal Newport
I leave you some links:
Book "So Good They Can't Ignore You" https://www.calnewport.com/books/so-good/
On Passion and Its Discontents https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2018/06/30/on-passion-and-it...
The Deep Life: Some Notes https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2020/03/17/the-deep-life-som...
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#59The "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…
There's this Ramen place near me that has incredible soup. The dude who runs the place puts his entire self into making the best soup he can. You don't have to change the world and save the human species, it's okay to spend your time trying to make the best soup around because you love watching people smile when they slurp your soup.
Wonderful! Reminds me of "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". That is the quality of most human endeavor, which is neutral, or slightly positive (or negative) on the scale of protecting Life itself. Those who find true meaning and purpose at a human scale are quite fortunate. The purpose I speak of is the best purpose, in the Aristotelian sense, and so should be the purpose of global human leadership, and every individual's experience shaped by that purpose. There is still room for excellent ramen in such a world. And in fact that total commitment, the attainment of "flow", is exceptional and serves as a good example for everyone else.
To save Life in the long term will be the task of millions over many years, and the work will be easier with good raman in the belly.
Re: Ask HN: How do I find my “purpose”?
#60Create a post-scarcity society that eliminates all human suffering that comes from deprivation of basic human needs.
This is a solvable problem.