Nearly 250 babies are born every minute with just one question in mind, why. This question doesn’t come up early in their lives, not before they arrive at the, according to Jean Piaget, “Formal Operational Stage”. It is at this point in their lives, around the age of 12, where children start acknowledging their existence in a larger society and begin thinking abstractly. One question that tends to follow this transition, be it in different forms, is why. Why am I alive? What do you want to be when you grow up? What makes me different? This search for a purpose comes in many different iterations. People want to believe that there is a reason for the breath in their lungs. It seems to help justify the actions they take, but it can also have a negative effect. What happens when a person never fulfills their purpose? What happens if they fulfill it too quickly? Life cannot be considered wasteful if it hasn’t achieved its purpose, nor can it end as soon as its purpose has been fulfilled. Whether or not a person achieves what they believe to be their life’s purpose is not so relevant. Rather than becoming so single-minded that every other aspect of life becomes peripheral, have an open-ended purpose. A malleable purpose that changes based on its circumstances and evolves when facing adversity. So what kind of purpose is that?
There are three main forms that a purpose can take. A naturalistic purpose, which considers life as a way to make more life, an idealistic purpose, which considers life as a vessel by which to help humanity as a whole, and a selfish purpose, which considers life as a tool to arrive at some personal satisfaction. The naturalistic purpose of all life, as described by Charles Darwin, is genetic survival. To live at least until reproductive age and reproduce. The primary benefit of believing in a naturalistic purpose lies in the lack of limitations imposed by it. This type of purpose grants unlimited freedom in all aspects of life, only requiring one action, that while being normal for many, is impossible for some. The second type of purpose, idealistic, is what people believe to be beneficial for society. It can range from filling an essential niche that is currently vacant, to being a nice/kind person. This kind of purpose has one major constraint, being beneficial to society in some way, but lacks the necessity of doing something specific. Having an idealistic purpose allows a person to feel motivated and provides a certain direction, unlike the naturalistic purpose. The third form taken by purpose is that of the self. Self-centered purposes are more commonly known as goals. To be the best climber, best writer, best swimmer, or simply make a crap ton of money. Whatever it may be, these goals tend to be more flexible and adapt to how a person is feeling at the moment. This kind of purpose can be extremely limiting for a devoted person, and extremely inconsequential for the indifferent.
People often select a purpose that falls within the three previously mentioned categories. All of them have their pros and cons, but having a purpose of any kind is largely beneficial for everyone. Finding a purpose in life, “lowers risk of mortality above and beyond other factors that are known to predict longevity” (Association for Psychological Science). Not only is it effective in increasing longevity, it also provides a sense of direction that makes people feel better about themselves. Not knowing their true purpose can make it difficult for someone to enjoy their lifestyle. While there is no proof of the idea that everyone has a specific purpose in life, there is no proof stating otherwise. People have the ability to solidify imagination through their beliefs. They can write their own personal narrative and shape their lives as they wish. The important thing is to believe that their life is not meaningless.