Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Essential Purpose: Investigating Life's Purpose and Discovering a Definitive Conclusion
    Essential Purpose: Investigating Life's Purpose and Discovering a Definitive Conclusion
    Essential Purpose: Investigating Life's Purpose and Discovering a Definitive Conclusion
    Ebook119 pages2 hours

    Essential Purpose: Investigating Life's Purpose and Discovering a Definitive Conclusion

    By Philip Smith

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Can we ever confidently know the purpose of human life? Absolutely; and with the same level of certainty that we recognise the purpose of a light bulb. This book thoroughly explores the challenging question of purpose, and while doing so, also examines why our purpose is what it is. This very powerfully reinforces what is an already satisfying and convincing conclusion.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateDec 12, 2014
    ISBN9781483544687
    Essential Purpose: Investigating Life's Purpose and Discovering a Definitive Conclusion

    Related to Essential Purpose

    Related ebooks

    Body, Mind, & Spirit For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Work Is Development*

      Dec 28, 2018

      Work Is Development*
      23 min read

    • Article

      The Power Of THANK YOU

      Jun 6, 2019

      The Power Of THANK YOU
      3 min read

    • Article

      I Vow Not to Burn Out

      Sep 27, 2022

      I Vow Not to Burn Out
      4 min read

    • Article

      Intuition

      Apr 30, 2019

      Intuition
      12 min read

    • Article

      Trust Your Intuition

      Mar 15, 2024

      Trust Your Intuition
      3 min read

    • Article

      Why Meaning Matters

      Sep 16, 2021

      Why Meaning Matters
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Path to Self-Awareness

      Sep 1, 2018

      When we go out into the world and try to solve a problem, we create a model in our mind of what the problem ‘looks like’ — the issues involved, the context, the stakeholders, etc. Most people don’t think about it much, but each of us is a sort of ‘mo

      7 min read

    • Article

      Emotional Baggage

      May 19, 2022

      Emotional Baggage
      4 min read

    • Article

      How to Design Your Life

      Sep 1, 2018

      Many of them are, but to understand this, one has to develop ‘innovation literacy’. Innovation literacy is the knowledge and competence required to bring something new and useful into existence, and it is a skillset that can benefit us in just about

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Four Pillars Of Purpose

      May 1, 2020

      There are four research-backed qualities that lead to a strong sense of purpose: awareness, values, aspirations, and congruent behaviors. The good news is that these qualities can be nurtured with simple mindfulness practices designed to activate the

      6 min read

    • Article

      Remaking Morality

      Aug 31, 2021

      Remaking Morality
      5 min read

    • Article

      Case Study Method

      Dec 7, 2023

      Case Study Method
      3 min read

    • Article

      Are Suicide Bombings Really Driven by Ideology?

      May 24, 2018

      Harvey Whitehouse doesn’t like how New Atheists like Richard Dawkins make religion out to be a mere “set of propositions” amounting to a “failed science.” In a 2013 YouTube video, Whitehouse—the director of the Institute of Cognitive & Evolutionary A

      8 min read

    • Article

      Basic Instinct

      May 3, 2020

      Basic Instinct
      5 min read

    • Article

      Nothing Solid, Nothing Separate

      Feb 11, 2020

      Nothing Solid, Nothing Separate
      9 min read

    • Article

      ‘For Your Guidance!’

      Jun 30, 2020

      ‘For Your Guidance!’
      8 min read

    • Article

      Q&A

      May 1, 2017

      You believe that the ability to ‘read other people’ is the human brain’s greatest asset. Please explain. This ability — which I also call our social sense or sixth sense — enables us to achieve life’s most important goal: connecting with other human

      6 min read

    • Article

      Buddhanature Beyond Mere Concept

      Sep 20, 2023

      Buddhist traditions express our potential for awakening in diverse ways: natural luminous mind; suchness; nondual awareness; basic goodness; dharmakaya; the unity of emptiness, self-existing wakefulness; unconfined capacity; and so forth, all under t

      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Essential Purpose

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Essential Purpose - Philip Smith

      ISBN: 9781483544687

      Contents

      • Introduction

      • A Place to Begin

      • Section 1: Everything has Purpose

      • Section 2: The Relationship between Qualities and Purpose

      • Section 3: Looking at the Human Reality

      • Section 4: Physical and spiritual – Understanding the Distinction

      • Section 5: The mind

      • Section 6: Spirit and Soul

      • Section 7: Conclusion

      • Section 8: Implications of the Conclusion

      • An Acknowledgement

      Introduction:

      ‘Purpose serves as a principle around which to organise our lives.’

      Anonymous

      Firstly, I want to thank you for having purchased this book. I’m certain it will provide a convincing answer to the question of Human Purpose, and will hopefully encourage you in your efforts to become the person you were born to be.

      We humans are a curious species, and have almost certainly wondered about why we’re here, and the question of our purpose since early times. The more one reflects on this theme, the more profound and universal it becomes. Purpose, in the context of this book, is considered to be an attribute inherently possessed by anything that exists; the study of which is known as Teleology.

      Human purpose particularly, has traditionally been the domain of the philosophical and theological disciplines. To reach a definitive conclusion about human purpose, such a study must be based on reality, on what really exists, rather than on conjecture or what we might like it to be. By using the human entity as the basic criteria for investigation, we are able to discover a definitive and satisfying answer, as this book will show.

      We should also not be tempted to confuse purpose with Intention. While the two words have similar meanings and are frequently used interchangeably, intention is a conceptual process requiring consciousness and intelligence. On the other hand, purpose is a much more fundamental characteristic; being an inherent property of the various entities of existence. Human beings employ the faculty of intention as a prelude to action, whereas purpose is innate and gives meaning to whatsoever possesses it.

      Inanimate objects, for example, each have their specific purpose, but are obviously incapable of having, or expressing, an intention. A cup, a hammer, in fact any implement produced as the result of human ingenuity, has a purpose, but not an intention. This is an important distinction to recognise, as it indicates that intention is a product of a conscious intellectual process and precedes any creative act, while all things have purpose, irrespective of whether they are aware of the fact or not.

      It is through the use of our intellectual faculty that we are able to recognise and identify the quality of purpose as it pertains to particular objects or beings. This is because the act of recognition requires a capacity for objectivity, something that humans possess, but which is absent in nature, an idea that will be developed further.

      People pursue a variety of purposes in their lives at any given moment, varying in importance from minor daily tasks to the completion of long-term goals. In this context, we start with an intention, and then translate it into purpose as we pursue the goal of that intent. However, beyond the time-bound and limited day to day examples, we have a more fundamental level of purpose that is intrinsic to our being. It is the nature of this intimate and deep-seated quality of purpose that we are seeking to reveal.

      The great thing about discovering our inherent and primary purpose is this; once it is recognised, we can then adjust the quality of our intentions to harmonise with what we have learned to be our purpose. We will be able to take conscious and deliberate steps towards exploring, expressing and fulfilling our potential reality, thus giving a real depth of meaning to our lives.

      While discovering our primary purpose is a highly significant step, expressing that knowledge in action is an infinitely greater one. This thought is encapsulated in the proverb; ‘actions speak louder than words’. Conversely, without this knowledge, a person is obviously incapable of making any kind of decision about the matter at all. This is why continuing to explore these pages will hopefully prove to be a great decision.

      Everyone is challenged by the truth: We don’t know what we don’t know. Fortunately, we possess the capacity required to delve into and explore the realm of the unknown; a capacity that is obviously a critical element for our ongoing growth and maturity. Human beings are the only creatures able to recognise, and to consciously characterise their purpose, through action. All other living creatures fulfil this expressive function naturally, and by default.

      While this book does not tell you how to apply the learning, because that is a matter of personal conscience and choice, it very clearly lays out the investigative process and the result. More importantly, it also explains and gives clear reasons why your purpose is what it is. So you will learn both the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of the purpose question; the ‘how’ part is up to you.

      I have attempted to explain things as clearly as I’m able, and have at times made use of examples or analogies to help make a point. I hope these are clear, and for those who may already be familiar with the concepts discussed, please excuse the repetition of certain points. My hope is that readers are easily able to understand and follow the development of these ideas, and to recognise their fundamental relationship with one another.

      The connection between these concepts, some of which are well recognised principles, while others are rational observations, is compelling, and results in a convincing and definitive conclusion. While we are seeking to answer the mystery of human purpose, we also explore, by default, the reason why we have this purpose. So the two questions, ‘What is our purpose?’ and ‘Why is our purpose, what it is?’ are inextricably linked, as obviously they must be.

      The answer to the first question is solidly supported by information pertaining to the second. Each line of argument serves to bolster the other, as they have a mutual connection. The threads of both questions ultimately and harmoniously merge, which then provides a much more satisfying conclusion. Furthermore, by providing a conclusive answer to this question of purpose, the answer concerning life’s meaning is also satisfied.

      When considering such esoteric and challenging questions, some are easily influenced by novelty or emotion and seem unwilling to accept reason and rational argument. To be credible, ideas need to be reasonable, logical and robust enough to withstand the intensity of rational scrutiny. When an idea appeals to our rational faculty, it instils in us a powerful sense of confidence and faith in the validity of that idea. If, with further exploration, such an idea continues to be valid, or even gain in plausibility, we are able to deepen our acceptance from belief to certain knowledge.

      There was a long period of time, for example, when people believed that the sun moved around the earth, despite the fact that some of the ancient philosophers had already recognised otherwise. Such an idea, however, even if held by a majority of people, could never have the effect of making that belief a reality, or a statement of truth. There are many ideas and beliefs, still held by individuals and groups in the contemporary world, which are simultaneously rejected by others because they are considered to be either misguided or superstitious.

      Many of these beliefs and traditions are perpetuated by the imitation of ancestral archetypes. Often, those who hold these views are unwilling to abandon their inherited belief system, because their perception of themselves is so dependent on it. Such entrenched attitudes generally remain unchallenged, and yet seldom contribute much in the way of social advancement or well-being for the cultures and societies that safeguard them so stubbornly.

      It would make an interesting study trying to understand why some people are prepared to accept particular elements of information as representing truth, while disregarding others. In our modern world, there are many who embrace some very unusual and eccentric ideas, ranging from fringe interpretations of mainstream religious systems, to such things as the UFO cults. Actually the idea of UFO’s is not an unreasonable one; it is some of the unsubstantiated claims

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1