What is the purpose of Life?

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:38:04 +0530

The Origin

I think that this question has always been daunting for the human species. I believe every great philosopher, scientist, or saint has looked at the sky, wondering about their purpose of life. Because we believe that every great person had an answer to this question and that's how they become great.

I don't know whether it's true or not, as I'm no great man, nor have I met somebody great.

Until college, I wasn't bothered about my purpose in life. But college gives you exposure to so many people from different regions, and backgrounds. Everybody has their own philosophy about life, sometimes it aligns with yours, but most of the time it doesn't; and since we are prone to confirmation biased.

I don't remember, at what point of my college life I got curious about this question but I remember asking different people what their idea of purpose of life was.

Mr. Naive

I thought, I'll get some good answers but most of them were similar. Somebody said that being happy is the purpose of life, someone said life is about enjoying the very little moments, living in the present etc. Some romantics said that It's about finding someone to love who loves you back. Somebody said that taking care of one's family is the purpose of life.

Although these were very simple answers about none of them was satisfactory. For example, being happy can't be the purpose of human life as it's impossible to be happy all the time. Enjoying the very little moments of life could be a practice not the purpose of it. Finding somebody to love, I think that's just one aspect of life, and it's not just about finding a person, it could be finding an occupation or job you love doing everyday. If raising or nurturing a family is the purpose of life, then what about those saints or people who follow celibacy. (You can find plenty of them in India).

But what more can I expect from an 18 years old college student?

The Priest

In India (among Hindus), we are taught that achieving salvation is the ultimate goal of life, so that we can get out of this cycle of life and death and finally rest in peace.

This could be unbelievable for somebody who doesn't believe in the soul or God.

When I moved to a new city for my first job as a Software Engineer, I met some people from the famous Hare Krishna movement. Their saint like attire made me curious about themselves. Due to some circumstances, I got a chance to live with them for a brief period of time. Their philosophy was also about achieving salvation through Bhakti (Devotion) and I was almost convinced by them.

I read the Bhagwat Geeta during that time, which also reflects upon the same principle. It tell us that God created this world and one day he will destroy it too. It also tells that there is a part of God that lives inside us, which makes us all divine.

But I was most intrigued by the reason God created us. I found that God wanted to share his love and divinity with somebody else, so He created souls so that souls can become his companions (more like the same reason, we make friends), but these souls developed arrogance and jealousy towards him, and were finally sent to the materialistic world so that they can get rid of these malefic attributes. Sounds like a punishment, doesn't it?

To be honest, I believe in all that. But this belief sounds a bit depressing that the very purpose of life is to suffer and sacrifice worldly pleasures, that the life's purpose is to leave this world.

The Biologist

Then, I moved to a different town for the same job. There also I found people with different ideas about the topic.

As per evolutionary theory, The Nature abhors a vacuum, which means that nature strives for balance, it doesn't like emptiness or imbalance. That's why when you mix hot water with cold water, the combination reaches a more balanced temperature. Nature wants us to create someone who can take our place when we die, it wants us to have kids.

It suggests that all of the decisions we take are fabricated around this concept of procreation. We want to become powerful, make more money, and gain respect so that we can protect our offspring and have more of them. That fear of losing our offspring is part of our DNA. This fear is fabricated in our minds by nature, to maintain balance.

I agree, this idea doesn't sound philosophical, profound or deep, it's very animalistic. But it makes sense.

My Purpose of Life

If I think practically, The Biologist's point of view is the most logical and makes a lot of sense. But I also want to believe in The Priest's POV, as it sounds magical and who doesn't like magic.

But, I'm an artist. I'm a creative person. How can I believe in somebody else's point of view, I want to create my own.

I think creatures have different identities in different contexts. In front of a lion, I'm a human. In front of a human kid, I'm an adult.

In front of a man or woman, I have different identifying attributes like my skin colour, height, weight, nationality, religion, caste, class, etc and I have a purpose associated with each of these identities.

In front of a lion, the lion's purpose for me is food, my purpose is to not become its food. As a son I have a different purpose, as father I have a different one. We can imagine these identities being part of concentric circles.

I believe my purpose is to bear the responsibilities associated with all those identities in all those concentric circles you are imagining right now, until I achieve salvation.

This is mine, what's your purpose in life?