Man’s Basic Purpose
From Reproduction to Self-Actualization
by
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In everything we do we search for meaning and purpose; in all our mad-erratic activities we search for meaning and purpose. Sometimes in our strange behavior it doesn’t look like it, but we are only searching for meaning and purpose. Everything on Earth has purpose and meaning, and a reason for its existence. A large percentage of the population will admit that they look for purpose and meaning in life. Man needs something for which to live, and he desires a life that is meaningful and purposeful. Man’s search for meaning and purpose is his primary motivation in life. Purpose gives us a reason to exist. One’s Perspective Depends on One’s Discipline or World View. Everyone has their own idea of purpose for man’s existence. Here, I give a more sociological and anthropological understanding of “Man’s Basic Purpose” for being on Earth. Man does have a purpose for being here. Some say man’s being here is an accident and is due to a random-chance process. Whether everything is a freak accident of nature, and there is no Maker or Creator, or things just happened to work out that way, we still have purpose. Evolution teaches that man is an accident of nature: there is no real purpose or reason for why we are here—it just happened that way; we are nothing more than intelligent animals, and like all other animals the day will come when we die. When man dies it ends his existence. There is no afterlife. According to the theory of evolution, there is no Maker, Creator—no purpose. It’s not important how we got here, whether planned or unplanned; random or non-random, intelligent design or evolution; we still have a purpose. Even other animals have a purpose; everything has a purpose. Whether man evolved from a lower form of life, or was directly created by the hands of God, man’s life still should have meaning. Mostly every individual that has ever been on Earth has wondered about his or her purpose for being here, maybe at sixteen and sometimes at seventy-two. It is an ever-pressing question in the mind of men. It is said in some circles that most men won’t be happy until they find their true purpose for being on this planet. Many men search for but most never find the purpose for their existence. Everything has a purpose, things go in circles, and there is a connection between all things. Most people won’t be happy until they find their purpose but will make peace with their Maker never having found that purpose. Until you find your purpose you will ask yourself such questions as: What’s my purpose in life? Why am I here? Am I living out the life I’m supposed to live? Am I doing the things I was born to do? Is this my destiny (Roberts, 2011)? Is this all there is to life? Why do I exist? What is the purpose of life? Is there a God? Who created all we see on Earth? Unique individuals. We are unique individuals, and there’s no one like us. No one has our talents and our abilities to the same degree. When we were made the mold was broken. Even identical twins are different in many ways. They have different personalities and respond to their environments in different ways, causing those in their environment to react to them in different ways, which influence them in certain ways. No other individuals on Earth have the same purpose as us; no one has the same fingerprint. It’s our uniqueness that makes us credible! Our distinction is our greatest assets. That’s why individuals have a different purpose. Our distinction is the purpose the Creator intended for us. The thing that others make fun of and discourage in us will turn out to be our purpose. It’s the only thing that unlocks our purpose, potential, and destiny (Roberts, 2011). When we have purpose. When our lives aren’t guided by purpose, choice become capricious and nearsighted based on avoiding pain or seeking pleasure in the moment. We drift, uncertain of our direction and confused by every fork in the road…. When we have purpose, the crossroads feel different. Because we know where we are going, we have clear and constant sense of direction that tells us when to turn and when to go straight (McKay, Forsyth, and Eifert, 2010). We are born as purpose-seeking individuals. Purpose is necessary for our health and longevity. It gives us a general direction for our lives. Purpose expresses the deepest dimensions within us—of our central core or essence, where we have a profound sense of who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going. It is fundamental to human life, and whatever makes us human. Purpose gives us the will to live and to persevere. Our being and quality of life depend on finding greater purpose and meaning. This purpose and meaning in life is a clear reason to get up in the morning, and is essential to our development. It gives us a reason to go on with life: without purpose some will want to end their lives. When our purpose is clear, it is the aim around which we structure our lives. Purpose is a constant non-negotiable factor in our lives. People of all ages are seeking a new perspective on how they fit into this evolving world. We are challenged to find relevant answers to the age-old question of purpose and meaning. Purpose is the value we center our lives around; the way we orient ourselves toward life. It is the way we make sense and meaning out of our lives (Leider, 2010). Definition of purpose. The American Heritage Dictionary defines purpose as—the object toward which one strives or for which something exists. Intelligent design conflicts with science: it says that we are here by divine order of the Cosmos. Intelligent design puts forth a different purpose than that of science.
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It is contended in this book that much of the literature elaborates on a rather religious explanation of “Man’s Basic Purpose” for being on Earth. One religious explanation says that “Man’s Basic Purpose” is to worship, praise, and glorify God. It is the author’s view that we were not put here to glorify God. Here a more secular view of “Man’s Basic Purpose is given. One secular view says that “Man’s Basic Purpose” is to reproduce. The author goes from reproduction as a purpose for man’s existence to self-actualization. Self-actualization and creativity are the highest purposes for man’s existence.