The human obsession with purpose is a curious phenomenon. We spend our lives chasing goals, crafting narratives, and constructing meaning, as if the universe ...
We often look for a larger purpose in our lives. Goals can give us direction, but tying our worth to achievements and milestones can turn that search into a burden. The universe does not offer an explanation for our existence, and that can feel unsettling.
In The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus writes about the tension between our search for meaning and an indifferent universe. Sisyphus keeps pushing a boulder uphill, only to watch it roll back down. Camus asks whether someone can still find a way to live with that condition. Most of us are not Sisyphus, but the question remains: can life matter to us even without a single grand purpose?
Giving up on purpose altogether can also feel empty. The meaning we make for ourselves can give us agency and help us through suffering. A doctor’s work, an artist’s practice, or a teacher’s care for students can matter without answering every question about existence.
Maybe the balance is to pursue goals without expecting them to explain everything. Meaning can also be found in ordinary moments. If the universe is indifferent, we still have room to decide what matters to us.