What is the Meaning of Life?(Part 1/2)

Selfishness Vs. Selflessness

Humans meander through the path of life in search of a greater purpose. A purpose greater than themselves, whether that be in school, a profession, hobbies, relationships, or even small trivial day-to-day tasks. Even I often ponder to myself. What is my purpose in life? Why was I born in my circumstances? How do I achieve a greater meaning in my life? Similar to many teenagers around me, we are navigating our identity, dreams, aspirations, and purpose. 

However, before skipping to conclusions, one must first consider the meaning behind ‘meaning’ because oftentimes times, interpretation and perspective play a role in influencing our beliefs. For instance, religious individuals will differ in views from atheists, and therefore may potentially approach life. For instance, from a religious standpoint, god’s word states that he loves and has a unique plan for all his children. Whatever that plan may constitute, the big picture understanding of the ‘meaning of life’ from a religious viewpoint is to test our faith and execute god’s plan throughout one’s life while spreading the word of the lord. In essence, the religious meaning of life surrounds the idea of the greater good, and living for a purpose greater than oneself. It is a prelude to life after death in heaven with God, and therefore the true goal is to achieve a sense of completion through doing good and spreading love. This concept essentially places humans in a position with the pure intention of selflessness. 

Nevertheless, regardless of our desire to serve others before ourselves, human nature surrounds selfishness and is an inevitable aspect of our lives. No matter the arduous efforts, no one will live through life without once sacrificing the good of their peers for one’s own needs or desires. True selflessness would result in a constant search for external issues that needed to be solved for others. This would mean that expressing happiness for oneself over career advancement, blossoming relationships, or other joyful events in one’s life would be categorized as selfish. On the contrary, selfishness, although presented as a vice in society is paramount to achieving happiness: even Aristotle alluded to happiness, or eudaimonia–

“activity expressing virtue”,

as the ultimate purpose of human existence. However, such black-and-white definitions of selfishness and selflessness are not sustained in the real world. In fact, the lines between these two concepts are blurred and can be difficult to digest and fully comprehend, but it is vital to distinguish between what makes a life meaningful and with makes a life happy. Despite differentiating the differences between the respective questions, humans must view selfishness and selflessness as both necessary elements for achieving a meaningful yet happy life.