The Absence of a Purpose is the Purpose

I believe it’s pretty clear that it’s difficult for humans overall to find external sources of meaning or purpose. We do try, though! Money, fame, recognition, and organized religions have claimed many a mind!

However, some external sources of life’s meaning are unpredictable and short-lived (like fame and wealth), while others are limited by their very definition. You can’t be truly happy if you’re just a cog in a smoothly running machine of a corporation or religious group. You’re only accepted and recognized as long as you follow a set of rules and norms. These strict boundaries are often created by a single individual obsessed with control or a closed group united by a harmful end goal. When a member of such a group wants to express themselves beyond the prescribed narrative, even if harmless, the system will ostracize, potentially expel, and punish the person. This isn’t accidental; it’s deliberate. Essentially, this kind of thought-policing acts as the immune system of large organizations.

So, where does this leave us? With the only real source of meaning in our lives—ourselves. However, this is often the most elusive and confusing source for many, at least at first. Nobody teaches us how to truly understand ourselves through tangible methods beyond vague and almost meaningless phrases like “follow your heart.” Follow your heart, my ass! First, you need a system for decoding your own emotions and developing coping strategies to avoid being overwhelmed by that raging river. Second, you must embark on a journey of engaging with the world and other conscious beings through various interactions. Only by doing so can you experience a clear and visceral sense of alignment with an activity or process.

Finally, the ambrosia will be purified in every soul’s apparatus, born from the friction between the body and the world, as well as through divine refinement via self-reflection and self-awareness. This ambrosia is the most vital nourishment for the human mind and soul. It is the genuine feeling of purpose fulfillment, of being the instrument applied and working, and of being in the right place at the right time.