# What purpose is Purpose is an orientation toward accomplishing some sort of [expected](imagination.md) task, which requires presuming that task can be accomplished. All things in the universe, barring a [Creator](religion.md), has no inherent purpose or meaning. We impose that onto our [perception](image.md) of [reality](reality.md) from [stories](stories.md) we [create](creations.md) in our minds. In fact, we can *only* perceive reality with a purpose first, with the only "true" perspective coming from [training](habits.md) ourselves to be [scientific](science.md). The existence of a self-determined purpose, usually involving survival, is a major indicator that something is a living being, though it can be [programmed](computers-ai-ml.md). One of the key differences between humans and any other animal is the sophistication of our purposes. We can make elaborate purposes based on [trust](understanding-certainty.md) in *very* long-term estimations of the future. Our purposes make endless [decisions](people-decisions.md) that slowly form into [habits](habits.md) we want, and those purposes are the clearest observable indicator of what a [human soul](humanity.md) is driven toward. Every purpose we make is a response to our environment: 1. [Reality](reality.md) demonstrates something, which we construct into associations to remembered things into a [story](stories.md) which has an ending that generates a [feeling](mind-feelings.md). 2. That feeling provokes us to engage in a type of [inner conflict](conflicts-inner.md) over a need or want we presently don't have. 3. We continue to perceive that thing as a "problem" until we [decide](people-decisions.md) in a way we interpret as [sensible](mind-feelings.md) and [rational](logic.md). 4. We then search for a [means](results.md) to "fix" that problem. APPLICATION: Without [awareness](awareness.md), our purposes tend to override [reality](reality.md), which is why we employ so much [faith](trust.md) in so many things. Thus, we're only find satisfaction when we're facing conflicts, of any sort, that we believe we can achieve. For this reason, most [Utopian societies](politics-perfectsociety.md) are downright impossible: people would find them utterly boring and would probably break things just to see what happened. This purpose can either be internal (which will often be connected to our [identity](identity.md)), or external (which connects to [results](results.md) we wish to see). ## The focus of purposes As we [learn](understanding.md) and [mature](maturity.md), our purposes shift around. They start simple when we're babies, but by the time we can talk, we've outpaced the complexity of any other living being we've encountered. At our very beginning (i.e., infancy), we start with nothing but raw curiosity, which is itself a combination of several elements: 1. Knowing we [don't know](unknown.md) 2. Desiring to know, which likely comes straight from our [soul](humanity.md) 3. Finding things we can use so we *can* know Quickly, within moments, we start forming [habits](habits.md) of thought and action which create [certainty](understanding-certainty.md) (and, therefore, removing our curiosity). Those habits are the creative output of many elements including [raw feelings](mind-feelings.md), [reasoning](logic.md), and [environmental trauma](hardship-ptsd.md), which means they're a mess to untangle later. Pain, for example, can mix with pleasure in strange ways. We tend to pursue our physical needs, then move to psychological ones. Often before we can talk, *all* the physiological needs are subsets of psychological needs, even though we're not [aware](awareness.md) of the transition: - Autonomy - the opportunity to make [decisions](people-decisions.md) for ourselves - Competence - the ability to be [important](identity.md) about something - Relatedness - a chance to [connect with others](people-4_friends.md) and be part of something larger than ourselves, usually through [love](people-love.md) or [influence](power-influence.md) Our stubbornness is how much we maintain a purpose and refuse to relinquish it for another purpose, and is sometimes called "grit". It can often be magnified by our ability to detect others' desires that contradict ours. Needs are often easy to detect and find motivation to pursue, and wants are extrapolations off those needs. Wants are generally far more difficult to fulfill because they have higher requirements than needs and may not be as closely connected to the [results](results.md) someone may wish to attain. To the degree we [love](people-love.md) and [fear](mind-feelings-fear.md), we are driven to [accomplish](results.md), and this is heavily defined by our [personality](personality.md). When [love](people-love.md) doesn't drive our purposes, especially of other people, our [actions](creations.md) will [feel](mind-feelings.md) hollow and meaningless. However, we more often choose fear over love. APPLICATION: We will always do more if we desire something specific than if we dislike something we presently hate. As our [decisions](people-decisions.md) to keep pursuing things become [habits](habits.md) through repetition, they slowly become unconscious (i.e., "ambition"). APPLICATION: We are only purposing when we're conscious, but our purpose usually carries itself out subconsciously, whether [evil](morality-evil.md) or [good](morality.md). Most of our purposes are [habits](habits.md), so our "present" self is mostly *not* responsible for our actions, even while it creates all of reality's [results](results.md). As we grow, our purposes accommodate others' purposes as well. The [power](power.md) dynamics of living in society often creates strange [conflicts](people-conflicts.md) of interest: - Even while a [creator](mind-creativity.md) wants to [influence](creations.md) others, they have to subsist on [enough money](power-types.md). - [Professionals](jobs-specialization.md) may circumvent sharing laws, which may help their client to their detriment. - [Parenting](church-family.md) requires selflessness, and can persist even when parents are utterly selfless. When we're young, our lack of knowledge means we don't [understand](understanding.md) the challenges we may have to face, which means our [feelings](mind-feelings.md) from how daunting a task can be won't interfere with [imagining](imagination.md) what we wish to [build](results.md). Unless we maintain a [habit](habits.md) of constant curiosity, this passion burns off as we [age](maturity.md), but we become more effective because our purposes have more grounding in experience. APPLICATION: [Young people](maturity.md) tend to explore, while older people tend to exploit. FURTHER APPLICATION: As we age, our purposes become more intentional and less inspirational. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but means we're more likely to stop hoping for good things and run the risk of pushing against [social progress](trends.md). At some point, later in our life, we start questioning the purposes we've been following when the [results](results.md) don't reflect what we [expected](imagination.md) from our [decisions](people-decisions.md). Most notably, we start confronting our [fears of death](mind-feelings-fear.md). This is a good thing, but often [scares](mind-feelings-fear.md) people, so it's called bad things like a "midlife crisis". One recursive form of purpose is to [self-motivate](success-5_persevering.md): solidify our purpose against things that [scare](mind-feelings-fear.md) us, both [real](reality.md) and [imagined](imagination.md). It's very useful to get a "running start" on things we would otherwise become discouraged over. APPLICATION: To maintain and grow willpower, we must rest regularly, set small goals, and never give up. Revisiting our purposes is healthy self-maintenance, but people often avoid it because it's so [destabilizing](understanding-certainty.md) to our view of reality. If we wait too long, we end up facing it in huge destabilizing chunks instead of small increments (e.g., midlife crisis). We can practice it with [self-awareness techniques](awareness.md), but mentally well people tend to naturally perform re-purposing without provocation. APPLICATION: If you're not sure what you want, that's okay. Most people don't know what they want most of the time, even when [they look like they do](image.md). ## Problem interpretations Anything we've deemed needs changing is a "problem". All problems are [values](values.md) in our [imagination](imagination.md) driven by how we [feel](mind-feelings.md) regarding a comparison between what we [perceive](image.md) and what we [imagine](imagination.md). All purposes in life string themselves into a never-ending sequence of problem-fixing. The severity of our desire to address problems comes from two factors: how much it affects us, and how much we [believe](understanding-certainty.md) we can [do something about it](results.md). Broadly, they fall into 4 classifications based on complexity: 1. Needs are things we *must* have, and correspond to [reality](reality.md). 2. Interests are how we meet needs. If we [feel](mind-feelings.md) like having it, they're often what we "want" as well. Interests often combine multiple needs, and typically require [predicting](imagination.md) what will happen. 3. Strategies are elaborate [mental constructs](logic.md) designed to meet interests. They are often so complex that we can't easily [communicate](language.md) them. 4. Position is the [power](power.md) we have to make the strategies happen. Problems are always a disruption. They can either disrupt a principle (e.g., many [moral](morality.md) issues, [bureaucratic](bureaucracy.md) thinking) or disrupt someone's [peace](mind-feelings-fear.md) about something they [expect](imagination.md). Whether the problem is [real](reality.md) or not is irrelevant. An artist will find a problem in a blank canvas as much as an accountant will over one discrepant number. It's a [conflict](conflicts-inner.md) between the environment we [wish to see expressed](imagination.md) as [results](results.md) within [reality](reality.md), and gives a mental workout for the [trust-based](trust.md) portion of our minds. APPLICATION: There will *never* be an end to the things we can do, so the quest for [meaning](meaning.md) and purpose never ends until we stop living. Even near death, we try to [build something beyond our lives](legacy.md) or prepare for [anything after it](religion.md). The clearest problem, across everything, is the concept of scarcity. There's only a limited amount of anything (e.g., time, money, energy), so we must constantly consider how much is left of everything. It's a major component of how we assign [value](values-quality.md) to one thing over another. No two people see the same problem. They will both gather *mostly* the same [facts](reality.md), but will make slightly different [conclusions](logic.md). One major problem with a problem-based way of perception is that we get distracted from Problem A with Problem B, and it can keep going. For that reason, we typically need frequent reminding (i.e., "virtue signaling"). APPLICATION: Since human purpose is driven by a problem-based mentality, unresolved problems *really* get in the way of our [satisfaction](mind-feelings-happiness.md). Mysteries, unfinished business, and [paradoxes](paradoxes.md) plague us much more than solved issues unless we learn to [release them](mind-feelings-happiness-stress.md). Without a problem, we face utter, crippling existential crisis. No matter what, a [good life](goodlife.md) requires the constant cycle of interpreting problems, looking for rational solutions for them, then [succeeding](success-1_why.md) (at least somewhat) at addressing those problems. APPLICATION: We're never entirely free of stress. Stress itself creates purpose, and [cycling](trends.md) between peace and [worthy](meaning.md) endeavors (caused by stress) is necessary for living a [good life](goodlife.md). Far too frequently, we fall into dysfunction when we don't [understand](understanding.md) the [consequences](results.md) of the solutions we use for our problems. We attempt to fix things, then notice they've changed but not improved, and keep using that approach because it's [familiar](habits.md). APPLICATION: Stubborn people are going to do what they're going to do. You can either be their antagonist and break them, or save the resources and let them do it. Occasionally, you can outsmart them, but there is no other option, not even for stubborn [children](maturity.md). ## Large/complex problems The larger the problem (based on [imagined](imagination.md) [consequences](results.md)), the more it [scares](mind-feelings-fear.md) us and the more it drains our [willpower](people-decisions.md). Huge and devastating [large-scale events](people-conflicts-war.md) drive us to either action or cowardice, and often with a [religious](religion.md)/[political](politics-systems.md) attitude mixed in. Further, if we *don't* resolve problems, they usually get worse. Taken far enough, unresolved problems can create an [existential crisis](meaning.md). Most large problems are simpler, small problems piled together. The vast majority of the time, [addressing](https://adequate.life/fix/) many smaller problems is far easier than fixing one large, interconnected problem. Across time and with [more people](groups-member.md) involved, problems become complicated: - We'll often do things we hate, but will start liking them out of familiarity as we build [habits](habits.md). - We'll often find [meaning](meaning.md) through the [methods](habits.md) we use to fulfill a purpose, which will often become part of our [identity](identity.md). - As we [age](maturity.md), we often forget we can't do things we once could have done. - To the extent we [follow others](trends.md), we want what we [imagine](imagination.md) others expect from us and what we "ought" to do. We also [fear](mind-feelings-fear.md) failure, so we'll [trust](trust.md) others' opinions from their [reputation](image.md), sometimes merely because [they wrote a book](creations.md). - Sometimes we want something we ought not to and will try to [maintain](image-distortion.md) the [appearance](image.md) that we don't want it while we pursue it. - If we believe we can't do something but still want it, we may detach from [reality](reality.md) and let our [imaginations](imagination.md) run free. - Most of the time, problems create [consequences](results.md) that create other problems, and by the time we're [aware](awareness.md) of them they've become so nasty that we have to ask "why" multiple times to get to the original cause. - We tend to compare and compete with others. To the degree we care about [appearances](image.md), we'll often do things we *really* hate for the sake of others' [approval](people-4_friends.md). APPLICATION: Finding purpose is relatively simple when the current purposes or solutions don't work. Just break apart your interests into their base wants, then find different interests that meet those needs. The universe is made of certain forms of inherent structure, so "problems" are always a type of disadvantageous structure. Most skillful problem-solvers focus their efforts on the weakest point in that structure: - Most work for [spies](people-conflicts-war.md) is finding weak points that were covered up by an [image](image.md) of strength. - Before aircraft [technology](technology.md) changed [war](people-conflicts-war.md) strategies, invaders always attacked city gates. - [Religions](religion.md) approach [powerless](power.md) people who [feel](mind-feelings.md) discouraged by how their life has been going. - [Leftism](politics-leftism.md) makes appeals to people relatively uninformed about [history](trends.md) or [politics](mgmt-badsystems.md) but discouraged by how their life is going. APPLICATION: Often, our problems aren't as bad as we [feel](mind-feelings.md) they are, and the problem may simply be [judgments](imagination.md) we're making about [information we already have](image.md). Most problems are simple, and we fix them [habitually](habits.md), but we tend to only focus on the largest ones. Some of those have many elements with a relatively straightforward solution (e.g., a messy room), but the problems that *really* ruin our [happiness](mind-feelings-happiness.md) have many sensible solutions we must [decide](people-decisions.md) between. Our indecision about problems we *need* to fix comes mostly through a calculation of how much pain we'll experience. APPLICATION: To face a challenging problem, do *not* skip out on a healthy diet, and try to do it when you're not sick. Foods with a low glycemic index are healthiest because they give a slow, steady flow of energy for the brain. Sometimes, problems merge with other problems to become unbreakable through any direct approach. When that happens, the only solution is to attack one of the core problems: 1. The causes are difficult to discern from the effects. 2. Everyone involved with the problem has [competing views](people-conflicts.md) and strong [feelings](mind-feelings.md) on what the problem even is. 3. Nobody can agree on a decent set of [solutions](https://adequate.life/fix/) to address the problem. 4. Nobody can agree on a clear, [measurable](math.md) "finish line" to track if the problem changed. APPLICATION: The "5 Why's" is a series of asking questions to get to a root cause, and it works because it links back through [certainties](understanding-certainty.md) to find an original cause. We must understand where we desire things to know how to best meet those desires. One of the most prevalent interpersonal human problems pertains to [freedom](morality-justice.md). We're all born with the near-unlimited ability to think and a broad ability to do, but must honor [social standards](people-boundaries.md) that create *many* [interpersonal conflicts](people-conflicts.md). Its [morality](morality.md) is determined by how and why we resolve it. Some of the largest problems are absolutely impossible to fix (e.g., [death](legacy.md)). The only way to resolve them is to release control of them as the [Unknown](unknown.md), which is the most significant use of [religion](religion.md). ## Recreational purposes We tend to [cycle](trends.md) between phases of doing [work](results.md) or [creating](creations.md), then [recreating](fun.md) and [resting](sleep.md) when we run out of things we need and want to do for that day. Typically, we alternate how much energy we use from one to the other. Recreation is a variation of the curiosity we had in childhood. However, because of our need to [work](jobs-specialization.md), we often have interests that go beyond anything other people will pay us to do. Recreation and work are *both* necessary for [the good life](goodlife.md), and should flow through a [small resistance cycle](trends.md). However, [addiction](addiction.md) can disrupt that cycle by keeping us perpetually purposed toward one thing without regarding [diminishing return](results.md) or the [power](power-types.md) we're sacrificing. While we recreate, we tend to only relax in a few specific ways, usually dictated by [preference](personality.md) and [culture](people-culture.md): - Creating and consuming [stories](stories.md) through various [media](stories-storytellers.md) - Creating and consuming [humor](humor.md) - Low-energy activities like fishing, camping, or drinking [alcohol](fun-alcohol.md) - Playing games APPLICATION: Playing and games are excellent training for reality, but never quite capture the real thing. It can fool our subconscious, though, which boosts our confidence in reality and helps build "soft skills" in a thing. It can also foster overconfidence. When we feel perfectly [safe](safety.md), our recreation represents different levels of focus and engagement: 1. Absolutely no producing, only consuming (e.g., movies, lounging) 2. Relatively mindless productivity toward a purpose (e.g., organizing stamps, decorating) 3. Challenges that require an implied deadline (e.g., solving a puzzle or Rubik's cube) 4. Competitions with others on a completely level test (e.g., a footrace or time trial) 5. Competing with others where each competitor can influence each other (aka, [a "game"](fun-games.md)) ## Group Purposes If a purpose isn't driven strictly by a [principle](values.md), it's driven strictly by [culturally](people-culture.md) established [habits](habits.md), which borrow from many people at once into an aggregate purpose. APPLICATION: Everyone sees different aspects of a problem, so groups of relatively dumb people are always smarter than any individual genius. While this doesn't make any difference for any specific purpose, they create severely contrasting [results](results.md) when [confronted](people-conflicts.md) by an opposing cultural standard. Often, the principled person will either become a [counter-cultural leader](groups-small.md) or will be [rejected by the group](morality-taboo.md), depending on how much the [trend or cycle](trends.md) has developed. However, every person is at least somewhat [influenced](power-influence.md) by others around them. Most significantly, our [close friends](hardship-friends.md) can alter how we [decide](people-decisions.md) and, ultimately, our quality of character. APPLICATION: To live the [good life](goodlife.md), we must find [friendships](people-friends.md) with people who conform to the ideal purposes we wish to maintain.