Life Purpose (Part 2): Here is What Science says is Your Life Purpose!
Most research and scholarly work about life purpose in other areas other than philosophy and theology are inevitably trash for this one reason: they fail to define and differentiate life purpose from accomplishments or plain life goals. For example, see how these 16 famous speakers and spiritual leaders terribly fail to define what life purpose is. Even where they use words like, higher purpose beyond self, they don’t know exactly what that higher purpose is, and, in most cases, they mean bigger life goals that can’t be achieved alone, for example, changing government! Nevertheless, we will explore some!
READ THIS TOO: Life Purpose (Part 1): What it is and what it isn’t!
In their paper, Life crafting as a way to find purpose and meaning in life, Schippers and Zieggler (2019), with many references and citations, discuss various psychological approaches that help to define life purpose. These guys end up with this: Having competent life goals, plans, values, and passions and embarking on attaining these to the highest possible level (self-determination) gives purpose and meaning to life. The whole framework lies within positive psychology and salutogenesis. In other words, as suggested by their paper’s title, life finds meaning and purpose in accomplishment of goals or plans! To live your purpose is to set some goals aside and work hard to accomplish them!
Richard Dawkins, in his paper, Replicators and vehicles (pdf document here), proposes that the purpose of life is to live. In support of the guy (Darwin) behind natural selection thing, Richard says that DNA exists for itself and does all other things for self success. In other words, your life purpose is to survive, at the expense of everything and everyone else! This could be okay. But we are forced to ask this: Since DNA itself is alive, what is its life’s purpose? Still, from Richard’s work, we can answer, to provide for itself. But then another question comes up: If DNA’s sole purpose is for its existence, how come it dies? Doesn’t this mean that, irrespective of it existing for itself, there is external control over it, its life? Guys don’t have answer to this!
Richard isn’t alone in this box. Doctor Ralph Lewis, in his book, finding purpose in a Godless world, compellingly and confidently discusses that life and its purpose evolved without any eternal guidance, but in response to evolutionary needs or circumstances (in case you can’t access the book, read his summary here). The famous Sadhguru says the same: Life’s purpose isn’t about anything else but to live. According to him, all things we think and do should be in response to the need, the circumstances. Otherwise, we should just live to be, to live (see his videos here and here). According to this YOGI preacher, there is likely no such thing as God’s purpose. There is no separate creator and creation; creation and creator are one! Thus, life and its purpose are in life, in you alive! In his words, ‘if you pay little attention to this process of life, you would not need any purpose…’ What Sadhguru forgets is that there is really few of us (actually, none of us) who can find all that life offers just within self! Besides, like we said earlier, what if, due to some life circumstances, one can’t live this life or has no power and opportunity to ‘pay little attention‘?
READ THIS TOO: Life has never been about you, not even your good life choices!
Steve Taylor has done extensive work on life purpose, spirituality, and psychology (for about 10 years) and has published one of the famous books, out of the darkness. In the book, he discovers life purpose through what people hold dear. According to him, many people, after surviving what he calls ‘transformational’ circumstances or effects, for example, healing from cancer, surviving an accident or earthquake, realize that, all along, they have been wasting their lives on various materialistic pursuits instead of internal energies like love, family, friends, doing good for others (altruism) and more! To him, this is life purpose; living for those things or ideals or people that matter to you the most and bring happiness. So many issues are open here: How do you know what matters most? After accident? Well, he proposes a process called awakening! But then, what surely matters the most? Serving others? What makes living a materially successful and happy life not a purpose but serving others or being closer with your loved ones a purpose? Or, maybe, everyone has his own life purpose depending on what he or she values the most! Isn’t this very weak? This is the same with where we started from; Pursuing life goals or values or passions! DEAD END!
The above are few examples of weak arguments regarding purpose of life. There are many more scholars and psychologists who are gambling around here with the question, what is the purpose of life? (See some here, here, here, and here).
READ THIS TOO: What is Patience?
Viktor Frankl on Life Purpose!
Perhaps, the better non-theological studies and or observations on life and its purpose were the ones by a man called Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist and, yeah, a holocaust survivor. Viktor, during his horrible years in Nazi camps, observed that people’s purpose exceeded accomplishments and was less likely to be shaped or influenced by circumstances. And, according to his observations, any person who has found this purpose will suffer anything, including death (apparently, many died) and yet in victory in relation to life purpose. To me, this was a divine revelation; One’s purpose exceeds self, life accomplishments, and even death! And, most importantly, isn’t necessarily influenced by circumstances!
Though his further discussions and work diverted from the foundational truths and paved way for positive psychology, his observations set him aside from other gamblers! You can explore his book, Man’s search for meaning, here on Amazon (even without paying for it, you can read up to page 166) or just read a summary of his observations from Maria Popova’s writings here
In summary, the world of psychology, neuroscience and general science or even evolution has little (if not nothing) to offer in relation to understanding life purpose. In that world, life purpose is more about life goals and accomplishments, what one truly holds dear and meaningful, and or a thoughtful response to circumstances. Therefore, all individuals actually have various life purposes and there is no single way to define it! This is FAILURE.
In part 3, we will discuss life purpose according to philosophy! For now, what do you think is your life purpose? Your goals, the time you give to people and things you treasure or the thoughtful responses or actions you exhibit in various circumstances? Share with us in the comments section below. Thank you.