“Let all your efforts be directed to something, let it keep that end in view. It’s not activity that disturbs people, but false conceptions of things that drive them mad.”
— Seneca, “On Tranquility of Mind,” 12.5
Today we discuss purpose. Defining who we are and what it is we are doing here. We can go ahead and mark it for 7 days; it took me 7 days to ask “Why are we even here, man?”
The truth, however, is that I have no idea how to answer that question, be it for myself or for the greater human race. I suppose to a certain extent, finding that answer would signify a leap in my study of philosophy, and thus I am nowhere near being able to make it.
Just because one does not truly know their purpose does not mean that life goes on hold until one figures it out. Thus knowing that I have not fully discovered my purpose, I think I will get more from this post if I discuss what one can do as we search for that answer. If I can’t explain my purpose, I can at least explain what I intend to do while I search and how I intend to be ready when and if I find it. I feel like I can sum it up in three words: Better every day. It is a simple enough idea. If you don’t know your purpose (and frankly, even if you do) you should still seek to be constantly improving upon who you are.
There are arguments for other metrics of judging one’s actions. Adam Carolla, a comedian, and podcaster to whom I listen daily has a similar creed to my own: He says “Does it make you money, or does it make you happy?” While I do not disagree with that idea, I would say that, for me, “Does it make you better?” is more valuable. Nevertheless, with all three questions, and without having a fully defined or solid idea of what my life’s purpose is, I can at least build some philosophical structure to my life by ensuring that if what I am doing does not make me happy, rich, or better, I need not do it.
That is not to say that all things that make me happy or rich are always good things, which is why I put “Does it make you better?” on a higher pedestal. While things that make us happy or rich may be, in the end, negative, it is a rare thing that makes us better but is simultaneously bad.
Ensuring that everything in our lives makes us happier, richer, or most importantly, better is a simple idea, but it is no easy task. It requires introspection, clarity, and no small amount of discipline. In my case, my vice is internet videos. Not documentaries or ted talks (as those could be argued make one better), but stupid videos like “Best Bloopers from Marvel Movies” or “Best Fails: January 2017.” These do nothing to better me as a person, a professional, or anything. What happiness I get from them, is insubstantial, and usually, get outweighed by the frustration I feel when I look at the clock and realize I have been watching for an hour. It may seem like a silly thing to describe as my vice, but I recognize it as an obstacle to my goals of constant self-improvement.
“Better every day,” I will admit that like that I can break it down into something simple. I feel like the Stoics would be proud of that. Better every day is a good little mantra for how to approach most of the things I do. Does it make me better? Even if I am not 100% sure for what I am improving, simply the act of constant self-improvement and growth will yield a net positive in your life. Another way to look at it is; “is what I am doing right now actually contributing to making me a better (insert noun here) than I was yesterday?” One can put nearly anything into that open space (well, perhaps putting “bank robber” in there may be defeating the purpose, but you get what I mean). In my case, some of the common things I apply are; student, leader, officer, husband, athlete, friend, and these days, philosopher. With this idea, even as I search for purpose and have no idea what I am doing, I can be confident that once I find it, I will be ready.
Funny enough, as I sat here typing the list of things to put into my little philosophy mad-lib, I realized: I may not know my purpose, but I can almost guarantee when I figure it out, it will involve one or more of the things one that list. Perhaps I am closer than I give myself credit.