1. The Origins of Purpose
Some people believe they have a higher calling or a destiny to fulfill. This belief propels them forward as they strive to live into the mission they were assigned. Others, however, see life as devoid of inherent meaning, shaped only by personal choices or external happenstance. A third group declares that life has no meaning or deeper significance. How can people arrive at such drastically different conclusions? At the heart of this divide lies a fundamental question: Where does purpose come from?
Two Potential Origins
Some argue that purpose is objective, where our meaning and significance is given to us by something outside of ourselves—usually God or the universe. From this perspective, meaning is not a personal invention but woven into the fabric of our existence, present whether we recognize it or not. Our lives are shaped by a greater design that assigns purpose to our existence and is independent of our personal tastes, choices, or interpretations. Even if I deny, disagree with, or reject my purpose, that doesn't change the intended design of my life. Purposes could range from universal (such as the idea that all people are meant to pursue love or justice) to highly individualistic (such as the conviction that one’s life is uniquely designed for a specific role, event, or mission). The Scope of Purpose explores this idea in greater depth.
Others would say that purpose is subjective, which suggests that we have the power to create meaning and significance in our own lives. Instead of being driven by destiny or divine design, our purpose is self-determined. We assign meaning and significance to our lives by constructing our own goals, values, and sense of fulfillment rather than having them imposed upon us by an external force. The reason for our existence is much like a blank canvas, and as the artist, we are responsible for choosing its subject, colors, and beauty to define its meaning.
Typically, beliefs in objective and subjective purposes are not mutually exclusive. It is entirely possible to believe in a broad/universal purpose, but allow for freedom in how that purpose is expressed or carried out at an individual level. For example, you might believe "everyone should help other people" as a purpose, but the specifics of how that gets implemented could be defined contextually--in vocation, through volunteering, as a parent, etc.
A Third Option
Finally, a third perspective rejects the idea that purpose exists at all. From this standpoint (called nihilism), there is no such thing as a meaningful existence. Purpose is viewed as a psychological tool that people use to give their lives a sense of importance, rather than a real or objective feature of reality. According to this view, meaning is an illusion—comforting, perhaps, but ultimately constructed by human minds to impose order on an indifferent universe.
Is purpose inherent, individually decided, some combination of the two, or neither? Take the survey below to investigate your beliefs.