Is the purpose of life to be happy?
Is the purpose of life to be happy?
When I’m unhappy, I feel like I’m doing life wrong. I’d rather be happy. But is happiness the point of life, or is there more to it? If I pursue happiness, mine first then for those around me, is that selfish? But if there’s a bigger purpose, then what about people with Alzheimer’s or dementia who can’t recall recent experiences or make plans?
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No. Happiness is nice, when you have it, but you have to create meaning in life.
And purpose? You can have a purpose but Life in general does not.
Okay, this is an interesting idea. I said purpose, but you said meaning. Aren’t those the same? Imagine I’m pursuing something pointless, like hedonistic pleasure. Why isn’t that meaningful? How can I determine if my actions are meaningful?
Determine is an ambiguous word, here, so I'm going to break it into two parts:
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You might discover that your actions are meaningful to others. Hedonic pleasure probably won't be, but everyone is into something.
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You decide if something is meaningful to yourself.
Something doesn't have to have a purpose to b meaningful; and something doesn't have to be meaningful to have a purpose, or at least, not meaningful outside of that purpose. I can appreciate the buffing leaves on a tree in spring without needing those specific leaves o that tree for anything. I have several wooden spoons that serve me well in the kitchen but if they disappeared tomorrow I wouldn't notice or care.
To be clear: Meaning is internal, but purpose is some sort of external function, utility, or goal.
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