So, as a intuitive "feeler", my need for purpose is full of possibilities that are value-based. My need to help somebody. My need to feel needed (that is probably quite common need amongst people). ??? Who knows if I don't. But it's hard to find the purpose and I'm thinking if I'm wasting my time trying to find one. And all the other people, few million or even more, are they all looking for a purpose for nothing? Is life itself a purpose when we shouldn't be looking for a separate purpose besides that? Should we all make the daily living a purpose, enjoying it as many people in this thread said already?
Gotta be careful that you don't tie yourself into a knot. It can be difficult to get out of.
The idea of the life purpose is interesting because everyone has a different idea of it. Many people have myths and misconceptions about the life purpose. As if perhaps it's something written in your genes or something so obvious.
When you read about successful people and how they achieved their life, they may talk about their life purpose, but it's not a gem you find on the way. It's something you realize when you do your own thing.
The common thread between these stories is that they finally demanded their place in the world, regardless if they know what that place is or not. It's about discovering what you got. That inner voice that tells you what to do, but for most, self sabotage that voice.
The life purpose is like 20/20 vision where hindsight is oh so clear. This is what we first come to realize about the life purpose and the first mistake.
The life purpose isn't that obvious. The determination of the life purpose is to do exactly what you want to do, for better or worse, and to keep growing. Of course there will be failures, but something inside you wants to get out. To have a voice in the world. The right to express it in the manner you see fit.
Everyone has that inner voice tugging them in certain directions. This is the life purpose. Most people squash this with a whole battalion of excuses (it wont make my money, it's too stupid, people wont love me for it) etc. The only person that can protect and nurture that voice is yourself. When the decision is made to protect it instead of squashing it, the outward effect is that of strength/courage and a correct selfish attitude to fend people off.
There are a few ways to get in touch with that inner voice. Meditation, vacation, solitude, jumping from airplanes, etc. After you hear that inner voice, the next step is to figure out how to bring it to the world. By engaging the rational mind to come up with definite plans to deliver that inner voice into reality, or to have self expression.
The inner voice is valuable, because it'll be unique for you. Hence this is true value no matter how you cut it. And when you start fighting for your inner voice instead of against it, you'll start to deliver that value onto the world.
The is the main idea/purpose/goal whatever. This is what Mihaly intends behind "the meaning of life is meaning". You apply meaning to your own life. These days, advocating your own inner voice is the most beneficial, modern, awarding and all those positive things. This hold true for many of the world religions and philosophies. The right and freedoms to express yourself; advocated by most constitutions via 'the pursuit of happiness'.
Also have to be careful how you characterize 'the life purpose'. If it's seen as a manual for your very own personal life, then it's authoritative and tyrannical by its nature via dictation. In some ways, people have taken MBTI in the same light all to make things easier and escape the grand life adventure.
When going through life and fighting for your inner voice, there will be hardships, barriers and just plain old weird. Many of the great people in life all had to fight their own demons and battles. Perhaps it was a disability, or it was the government itself. Sometimes it's the spouse or any number of other things.
Another thing about the stigma of the life's purpose is that it's not something that can be obtained. It's not the ultimate sword or ring to conquer the universe with. It's something to strive for in life and what keeps our sanity intact by ordering our perceptions of reality, because if you let all of reality in, you'd probably go insane.
For some people, the life purpose or goal is to rule the world. Some others just want a warm meal every other day if possible. And still others, the life goal is to beat a terminal condition.
Some read into the words precisely because it's the message that's the important thing. If you really do understand the message here, then you will find any number of different vocabularies to that expresses the same thing. It's been written throughout history through many epochs.
MBTI and other typologies are a great way to narrow down reality and pick out the salient thread that may reveal one's life purpose. But it never promised that it would do that. It's really up to you to discover it yourself, and as you bounce back and forth between values/faiths/rationals/theories or whatever, you'll eventually find it. Sometimes, people just know it when they were kids, without a doubt in their mind.
I'm discovering my life purpose, but for some reason, I think I had it, then I let it go because it was the "responsible" or "adult" thing to do. Must cultivate faith and courage to stand in mid air and demand expression.
Some tricks I do for self discovery are
1. collect quotes
2. be extremely curious and drive towards answers
3. mind map my thoughts to keep my mind clear
To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means, to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting. - EE Cummings