What is our purpose in life?

One of the biggest questions – ever. Humans have asked this question since we became capable of abstract thinking. 

And honestly, there is no universal answer to this question. Everyone must answer this question individually.

A common answer is reproduction. It lies in our nature as a species. Many people have children and find purpose in raising them, passing on their gens and knowledge. 

Having something to care about is essential for living a fulfilled life.

But it doesn‘t have to be children. We all need some kind of project – something we deeply care about and find purpose in, something that keeps us going.

Lacking purpose

Lacking purpose is often at the root of depression and unhappiness. 

Many students, for example, experience a period of depression after finishing school. Their long-term project – graduations – has ended, and it can take time to find something new to aim for.

Finding purpose

Maybe you purpose becomes building a career. Maybe it is helping others through  social work. For some, it is living a healthy lifestyle, mastering a skill, or serving someone. 

Purpose takes many forms.

But how do we find a purpose? Is it something we develop naturally?

In reality, we know that our time on this planet is limited and what we are really asking is: „What meaningful things can I do with my life?“

Whatever it is, for your mental well-being, it is crucial to have a project that matters to you.

Consequences of not having a purpose to care about

When people complain about coworkers who don‘t ask how their weekend was, or about their sister taking the last muffin, these thing seem bigger than they are. They evoke unnecessarily a bad feeling.

Why does that happen?

Most people have nothing larger in life to focus on. If you are working toward a promotion, building a business, or caring for a loved one, those muffins don’t matter.

Our brain needs a hierarchy of problems – without important ones, the mind invents unimportant ones. That is why life problems are just side effects of not having anything more important in life.

Prioritizing thoughts is hard, but a key to living according to your true potential.

In the movie „Matrix“, humans live in a stimulated reality created by intelligent machines. The machines explain one of the human characters that they tried to build a perfect world without suffering for the human civilization, but humans rejected it and it was a complete failure.

We humans are just not made to live without struggle. In fact, all other species live in balance with nature – except for us. The intelligent machine of the movie compares humanity to a virus: consuming resources and destroying its host. 

While that is a bleak view, there is something to learn form it. We need challenges to feel alive.

Example of purpose

In 1944, the Japanese Imperial Army deployed soldiers to the Philippines to slow the advance of American forces. When the war ended in 1945 most Japanese soldiers were killed or captured – but some, like Onoda, hid in the jungle. 

Unaware that the war was over, Onoda continued fighting for nearly 30 years, believing that the war was still going on. Onoda was eager to fight for his country and continued the mission that was originally given to him and the others.

The US government even dropped thousand of leaflets over the jungle to announce that the war was over. But Onoda and the other soldiers believed that peace announcement were energy tricks. Any messages from the external world were ignored and these soldiered kept living in their own reality.  

Onoda chose his suffering: living in the jungle, constantly on guard. His suffering meant something to him. His life had a clear mission.

When he finally returned to Japan in the 1970s, he was devastated by the consumerism and cultural change. He lost his purpose and became depressed.

So, maybe the question isn‘t: How do I stop suffering?

Maybe it is: What am I willing to suffer for?

The Neurobiology of Purpose

Let‘s zoom into the brain. What actually happens when you feel purposeful or fulfilled?

When you wake up exited to work on something – whether it is a creative project, a career goal, or helping others – your brain releases certain chemicals that make you feel alive. These brain chemicals, neurotransmitters, are you body‘s way of saying : this matters.

One of the most important neurotransmitters in this process is dopamine.

Dopamine is often misunderstood as the „pleasure chemical“, but it is rally about motivation and anticipation. When you pursue a meaningful goal, your brain rewards you with dopamine. This gives you energy, drive, and a sense fo purpose. It literally pushes you forward.

If you don‘t have a clear direction in life, your dopamine levels can drop – and that is when people start feeling empty, unmotivated, or even depressed. 

The brain wants to chase something, and if it doesn‘t have a real project, it starts looking for artificial ones: constant snacking, scrolling, shopping, distractions. These give you tiny dopamine hits, but not real fulfillment.

Other important chemicals tied to purpose include:

• Oxytocin -release when you form meaningful bonds and help others
• Serotonin – related to long-term life satisfaction and emotional stability. People who life with a strong sense of purpose often have higher serotonin levels and fewer moods swings.

Neural Network

Although consciousness remains a mystery, we know that our thoughts and feelings arise from pattens of neural activity.

A neuron is a brain cell that connects with others via synapses. The human brain contains around 86 billion neurons forming over 100 trillion connections. This is an unimaginably vast number of connections that forms the system of out brain.

When someone goes through a crisis or a major life change, the brain‘s network and wiring can shif. But the amazing part is that through things like journaling, talking to others, or just deep reflection, you can reprogram your brain to find new meaning. Over time, you literally rewire how you experience purpose.

So in a way, having a purpose isn’t just some phylosophical idea. It is a biological need. A healthy brain wants a challenge. It wants something to aim for.

And when you find that „something“, your brain rewards you with the energy to keep going.