“Everyone wants to succeed at the projects they deeply care about — they want to succeed at the projects that align with their life-purpose.”
People inherently want to be useful, and this utility comes in the form of executing that which closely aligns with their beliefs and purpose. Even if there is stuff to do, but the aforementioned is non-existent, people will feel useless.
Another great one, Paul! I was wondering if we could discuss a point. At the beginning, you quote this phrase:
"Nonetheless, though modern Americans have more choice than any group of people ever has had before"
And close to the end, you mention:
"The problem is that it is becoming harder and harder to live a life with clarity."
Why is clarity becoming harder? I have this nagging feeling it's because Americans (and anyone living in the global North) have less choice, rather than more. Really, the only option we have is to make a living through work.
We could organize our societies in different ways, but we're stuck in this philosophical framework, creating a fog that makes it impossible to see clearly that we could live differently. That is, we could have other purposes besides working just to sustain ourselves.
What a post-work society would look like, I have no idea. But maybe creating a world of options should be our purpose as a society. (Uh—another point: maybe purpose and clarity are more of a communal pursuit than an individual one... I could go on and on.)
Excellent article! Thank you for your work and perhaps you'd be interested in subscribing to our new publication, Infinitely Curious? First official post will appear on Monday morning.
We do indeed have all the information we need to radically transform our life. It has also become more unattainable due to the speed of life, the media claws and the promotion of brutal inauthenticity. All these have made it significantly harder for people to slow down and reflect. And you can't binge watch your way into clarity and self-awareness.
I'm beyond grateful to have come across your Substack. I write about better days and designing a happier life, having started this journey myself.
Really great article, Paul! Purpose and clarity are critical. I'd like to emphasize how these aspects bring in boundaries. I agree they are not limiting but freeing in many ways. Some of the most productive people decline to answer surveys on being productive, which is funny because this is their boundary. I encourage people to learn more about boundaries because it is key to mental health. Boundaries can be porous, flexible, and rigid. This depends on your clarity and purpose!
How do we make this more tactical to a wider audience, while I agree with the directional sentiment of the article and found it great.
Adding some boundaries to different archetypes of your readers would be really helpful, instead of explaining an anecdote of an artist. I think many readers are familiar with this commonly used example.
Additionally, even teasing out the metaphysics of taking action would be super helpful, perhaps ideas for another post 🫡
“Everyone wants to succeed at the projects they deeply care about — they want to succeed at the projects that align with their life-purpose.”
People inherently want to be useful, and this utility comes in the form of executing that which closely aligns with their beliefs and purpose. Even if there is stuff to do, but the aforementioned is non-existent, people will feel useless.
Thank you for this essay Paul.
Another great one, Paul! I was wondering if we could discuss a point. At the beginning, you quote this phrase:
"Nonetheless, though modern Americans have more choice than any group of people ever has had before"
And close to the end, you mention:
"The problem is that it is becoming harder and harder to live a life with clarity."
Why is clarity becoming harder? I have this nagging feeling it's because Americans (and anyone living in the global North) have less choice, rather than more. Really, the only option we have is to make a living through work.
We could organize our societies in different ways, but we're stuck in this philosophical framework, creating a fog that makes it impossible to see clearly that we could live differently. That is, we could have other purposes besides working just to sustain ourselves.
What a post-work society would look like, I have no idea. But maybe creating a world of options should be our purpose as a society. (Uh—another point: maybe purpose and clarity are more of a communal pursuit than an individual one... I could go on and on.)
Keep up the good work!
Excellent article! Thank you for your work and perhaps you'd be interested in subscribing to our new publication, Infinitely Curious? First official post will appear on Monday morning.
Sure thing.
We do indeed have all the information we need to radically transform our life. It has also become more unattainable due to the speed of life, the media claws and the promotion of brutal inauthenticity. All these have made it significantly harder for people to slow down and reflect. And you can't binge watch your way into clarity and self-awareness.
I'm beyond grateful to have come across your Substack. I write about better days and designing a happier life, having started this journey myself.
Really great article, Paul! Purpose and clarity are critical. I'd like to emphasize how these aspects bring in boundaries. I agree they are not limiting but freeing in many ways. Some of the most productive people decline to answer surveys on being productive, which is funny because this is their boundary. I encourage people to learn more about boundaries because it is key to mental health. Boundaries can be porous, flexible, and rigid. This depends on your clarity and purpose!
I'm getting to that point where I need Paul’s posts. I’m hooked on how they exercise my thinking muscles rather than shape my thoughts.
How do we make this more tactical to a wider audience, while I agree with the directional sentiment of the article and found it great.
Adding some boundaries to different archetypes of your readers would be really helpful, instead of explaining an anecdote of an artist. I think many readers are familiar with this commonly used example.
Additionally, even teasing out the metaphysics of taking action would be super helpful, perhaps ideas for another post 🫡
100%. I recommend the book https://www.meaningfullife.com/product/toward-meaningful-life/#description%20first_item (and if you are not sure you want to buy it, check out the great youtube videos for free at Meaningul Life Center!