What’s Your Purpose?

One of the great questions that we can ask ourselves is ‘Why am I here?’

I'm sure you'll agree that life often seems like a struggle with its daily round of challenges, problems and anxieties, so how do we make sense of this experience? In other words, why are we here?

It’s a question that’s taxed the wisdom of philosophers for thousands of years and the answers are as varied as the vast tapestry of human culture. But I’d like to consider a somewhat unorthodox approach to the question and see if we can shift the underlying context into uncharted territory.

What if we could discover a different formula for our answers? Let's consider the recent suggestion from a group of researchers that we might not be the first advanced civilisation in the planet’s history. I know. It’s an intriguing suggestion. The paper pointed out that, if technological development had occurred in the distant past, there would be almost no trace of it after only a few million years. Our sense of identity and our sense of purpose would certainly change if we had to understand ourselves within this new context. The Earth is around 4.5 billion years old. Modern humans have been around for a few hundred thousand years. We assume that we are a unique product of the evolutionary process and that our intelligence has equipped us to dominate the world. But, if this rise to prominence has occurred before, what can we learn from this possible example of the rise and fall of species and, more relevant to our question of purpose, of the rise and fall and disappearance of entire civilisations? How do we justify our existence?

Let’s consider a few alternatives. In terms of purpose, having a healthier, more balanced relationship with each other would be a very good starting point. Developing a healthier, more balanced relationship with the planet would be an excellent way to focus our energies. Finding better ways to share the world would perhaps prolong our attempts to develop an enduring and worthwhile civilisation, a culture that included all of humanity. When we step away from the notion that we might not be unique in the planet’s history, we might turn our attention away from our immediate needs and consider the longer-term benefits of protecting the environment and providing better opportunities for personal development across the globe. Having a clear purpose that is aligned with the common good is a great recipe for a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. It might equally provide us with the keys to an enduring civilisation. It might help us to justify our existence in the planet's long and varied hsitory.

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