Purpose vs Meaning

I want to discuss the difference between meaning and purpose. The big question many people ponder and talk about is, "what is the meaning of life?"

This is a cosmic and existential question that asks "why?" Why are we here? Philosophers, religious scholars, and everyday people have found their own answers to this question and they are all as unique as the individual. One religious meaning is that a higher power or God put us here to fulfill a mission. Then what is the mission? We could discuss this at length as people find or make up their own mission.

Another view that is more secular posits that humans came to be through evolution and are the Universe looking back at itself. Why though? It seems that it is a random event.

Why do people need meaning in life? We must be doing all of this for a reason. Since there are so many answers to this question, some people will ask, "which one is the correct one?" My hypothesis is that there isn't a grand, existential meaning to life. All of the answers can be debunked in some way. What if there is no God? What if evolution is just random and we are here by chance and there isn't any meaning behind it?

There are so many more questions and answers that I can't unpack all of them here. Perhaps I'll write a novel someday.

So what then? If we can't answer the question of why, what are we left with? When life gets hard, what's the point of going on? There is something that has to drive us forward. We have to find something to keep going.

This is where I believe purpose comes into play. The difference is subtle, meaning vs purpose. There are a million+ answers to "what is the meaning of life?" however when searching for a purpose we can narrow it down to something practical.

What do I want from my life? It's a deeply personal question. The difference from asking the meaning of life is there is no wrong answer to deciding how you want to spend your life.

For some it is raising a family, others find purpose in the work that they do, others volunteer or work for the betterment of humanity. Some chose not to be part of society and live off the grid.

When finding a purpose we have to take some things into consideration, such as morals. Where do we get our morals from? There are many answers to this question as well. My simple answer to this question is, "do no harm." Wherever you find purpose, first ask yourself, "will this harm someone or something?" If the answer is yes, then one should explore other options in life.

Purpose is concrete, although it can change throughout life, it is defined. There is no mystery or faith involved. Instead of pondering an unanswerable question about meaning, focus on your purpose and it will drive you to continue forward.