Everyone hits a point in their life when they can't figure out their purpose on Earth. Those with faith try not to worry, and put their trust in God that their purpose will be revealed, whether or not they can see it.
I think that the ones who find greatest satisfaction in life are those who people depend on. 'Living for others, instead of yourself', as it was said at last week's service.
We study or work all week, and find ourselves crying out for a break, a holiday, any respite from the tiredness of routine. When we do get a vacation, everything suddenly seems empty. The mind goes overtime, problems that did not exist suddenly overwhelm you. When I do the daily eat & sleep thing, life feels almost not worth living for.
Holding a position of influence, a life that is loved and cherished by people around you, or a profession that impacts others' lives positively truly makes a difference. It probably explains why disaster volunteers, doctors who devote their lives to causes, researchers with poor funding, social workers and all other sorts of people who work for the community keep doing what they do tirelessly. It gives them meaning to carry on everyday. Equally important, having a family and taking care of loved ones validates your existence when you know they love you back and depend on you.
Naturally, everyone gets exhausted after some time. Especially charity doers. But it sure beats racing to the top of the company or gathering the greatest amount of cash in the fastest time, just to arrive at the peak and realize there's only a sense of emptiness waiting for you there.
5 comments:
I think it is merely an idealistic dream to live for others. This altruistic end will inevitably collapse upon itself in the end, because it presumes to act upon sacrifice rather than gain on the doer's part.
It is like in every socialist or communist system. Sacrifice for others as an end in itself might sound noble and well-worth doing, but it is unsustainable.
We shouldn't deny that there is always an inherent selfishness that drives us as people. And I daresay it is only because of self-gain that these good things are possible.
When we give, we gain a sense of validation. It is the validation that drives us, not the sacrifice. We are spurred on in spite of difficulties, because at the end of the road, we know that we will have achieved something as an individual. When I see the good for others that my contribution has resulted in, it is not their mere benefit that inspires me, but their benefit is evidence of success in my work, and this fulfilment becomes my end and my motivation.
It isn't sacrifice, but giving to get a far greater, far more worthwhile return.
I agree that there's a missing clause at the back. Living for others... as a means of validating yourself. And I never meant that the sacrifice was the end product but just a means to the end. I was focusing more on life tending to become meaningless when most of our actions are for ourselves. But sure, in the end it's that happiness and satisfaction from being successful that keeps you going. But I'm sure it makes you feel more worthy as a human being, to be successful at impacting someone else's life rather than just gain on your own part.
no, no it's kinda different.
in a way i'm saying that life becomes meaningful when our actions are for ourselves. i know it sounds like hedonism, but it's different in that the typical hedonist is far too easily pleased.
Perhaps I'll use a comparison by CS Lewis. The typical hedonist is like "an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."
And so the problem is not that we are too unwilling to sacrifice, but that we are too easily satisfied with lesser pleasures in the face of far greater possible gain.
hmm on 2nd thought, that doesn't quite cut it either. i shall think more on this. and maybe blog about it sometime.
oh i just remembered that you did KI. well what i'm in opposition to is Kantian morality. but i haven't quite been able to frame my thoughts on the alternative to express it properly yet.
i never really was good at clear expression. too used to conning people to mumbojumbo. haha.
Oooohkay. Yeah, I know where you're going la. (And besides the fact that you're going into quite a number of different tangents at one go =P) I agree that definitely, if we could be pleased by simpler pleasures, self centred pleasures so be it, we would gladly forsake 'greater purposes' like self-sacrifice. But I also believe that at some point, those things do feel meaningless and u start searching for something else. I guess it's a balance, but I think there's always some part of you that feels better when you do something not for yourself. Maybe like a moving equilibrium. Ok. WATEVER! hahah After all, no one thing is completely right.
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