Just got back from watching Blood Diamond, its 4:30 in the morning and a question gripped my mind. Why do we do the things that we do – everyday in life?
I look at the 80-year-old sitting at the underpass selling tissue paper and wonder – would he have had a good life? This guy was at the prime of his life when my country was still run by the British, a time when Gandhi (ji) was making news. Now at this age – would he be smiling when he goes to sleep everyday, or feeling bad and alone when he wakes up and goes to work?
Why do we do the things that we do – every day? What is the end purpose of what we do?
Is it money and everything money can buy? Is it grinding 20 years of your life now, so you can afford to live the next 20 in money-bought-comforts? Is it financial freedom, i.e. no-dues-to-the-world or now-i-can-easily-access-comforts, or equally implied state of I-don’t-need-comforts?
Is it for respect and recognition- to be recognized by your friends and family, and be respected by your peers and strangers? What is interesting is that this is in many ways similar to a school boy carving his name on the desk at which he sits, so others will read it and wonder who the man is. A fresh coat of paint, and the name is nowhere to be seen. So social image , or, “others will respect me” as a purpose of life is a very short-lived goal. In any case, I don’t think that was the “purpose” for many BIG people whom we now know and respect – but a recognition that we give them for other things that they had made as their purpose in life.
Is it to experience the feeling of love, to know what it feels to be loved and cared for by another mortal and probably have kids together? The feeling that there is someone who cares about you more than you yourself do – also brings a feeling of existential satisfaction, that your life matters – to someone who thinks well and high about you, and when you are with this person, the world is so much nicer.
Or is it for the next generation? For bringing up your own kids in better circumstances than you yourself were in – as you grew up, so they might do something great? Which is understandable and is exactly what many people do, but the “purpose of your life” as a mere bridge to the next generation is like postponing your life’s purpose to infinity- since then, the expectation from the next generation cannot be any more than being the bridge to the next-next generation.
Is it for happiness? In my understanding, happiness is a state of balance between what-we-desire and what-we-have. However, we know there is no limit to what-we-desire, and there clearly is a definite limit to what-we-can-have, therefore, happiness is a myth for all, but for people without desires.
Majority, i.e. people who are neck deep in their busy social life would agree, that happiness is a combination of financial, physical and social well-being (the social well-being very often dependent on financial well-being). However then, Happiness being the purpose of life sounds shallow and meaningless as it is merely means to drag you through life without much discomfort.
There are some exceptions I feel – people who have worked and are working to make this world a better place have done very meaningful things, making medical, technological, social and political breakthroughs that save lives and make many of the things possible today and are all very meaningful.
Thinking very objectively – Do you know your great-grandfather? Do you think anyone will remember you when your great-grandchild goes to college?
Are we living life for the sake of living? Or is our goal to live as long as we can? Is the life on this planet a luxury that we should make the best of? Or a chance given to us to make a difference to the way life on this planet will evolve? Should we try at all? Or just focus on our bank accounts and social image?
Monk Says: You earn, you spend, you worry, you strain, you fight, you borrow, you try to buy happiness, you fail, you’re sick by the time you’re done earning. Me? I dont earn, I dont spend. I’m just calm and happy.
Note: Unoriginal post, however, if you’ve been in shit before – you’d appreciate the gravity and not just the humor of this post. Read on…
