On purpose as function
Here’s an idea: “purpose as function”.
By such statement, I mean to say that the reason we are all here is to serve. To take charge of an activity as if it defines our existence.
Who am I? An economist, a husband, a son, father to two pets (a dog and a cat), a friend, citizen, social media user, writer of this blog…
I took as my role activities I partake every day. Some were imposed on me, others time allowed me to choose. These, whether by accident or choice, became my purpose.
The idea is convenient. An ingenious way of dealing with some of those life’s endless questions, dismissing excess abstraction often found in most religions. I live to fulfill a set of activities that I’m comfortable investing my days on. When it's over, what I've done with my time could potentially outlast my life.
Strictly speaking, my existence is far from something eternal as the idea of “purgatory” or “paradise”, but it can live beyond my own experience. It can serve as sufficient incentive for me to try to make my story worthy of being remembered. Builders leave their legacy as memory.
The ending of one’s life is often perceived as tragic, it means the exhaustion of the capacity to experience pleasure, contentment, pride. However, for those who live to serve, the end just means it is finally time to rest. What matters is what is left behind, not the price paid.
To serve also doesn’t necessarily mean subordination. We are the ultimate lords of what we choose to serve, be it person, object or idea. Serving an idea you believe in is what many people do when attending a regular religious cult. It is the common belief in the idea of a deity that makes religion so persuasive and necessary to many.
In many ways, we all live to serve, with the distinction that often people believe in some kind of fair retribution. Those who live virtuously go to a happy place when they die, those who don’t are expected to pay with eternal penance. We seem to take instrumental comfort on believing such a thing.
However, by assuming “purpose as function” this becomes irrelevant. Living is an opportunity to build, honor those who came before, pave the way for those who will follow. To feed the collective conscience around you with your life’s example.
And what about the possibility of a fateful misunderstanding? What if what one deems worthy of serving is actually the opposite for everyone else? If this is the case, could a lifetime of dedication have been wasted?
Well, everything comes at a cost. Maybe a life of solitude, dedication, effort and little recognition is just a gamble. How would you prefer to be remembered though? Are you willing to take a risk?
