We Need Purpose...

One thing I've noticed over the years is that human beings need to have a purpose in life or a goal to reach...a reason to live.

When you look at some of the remaining primative tribes in our world...each person in that small society has a purpose, each person based on thier abilities, contribute in some way to the wellfair of the community, and are usually treated with the upmost respect for thier part of the society in which they live.

These sociaties don't seem to have the problems of suicide, obesity, depression, and nearly as many, if any mental illness to speak of...(I'm certain they have some...but from the documentaries I've seen, it does not appear so.)

I truly believe that in our modern day western society, we do not for the most part give ourselves or our children a distinct purpose in life...instead we have so many choices, and options, and not nearly enough guidence (not true for all) to help us decide where we would best fit into our communities.

It used to be that we were focused on family, and resposibility in that regard, and felt secure in our roles...but now we really don't.

So I wonder...if many of our health issues, our self esteem issues etc are not the simptoms of a lack of purpose in general.

What do you think?

Namaste

Shannix

German Heathenism - Asatru is a good example of such a community based society.

Every person had a job and every person took on an apprentice.

Its definitely valid. But most people (from what i have seen) have their own purpose, so are we talkin about one purpose that is the purpose of the whole community or just individual ones.

But i like the thought. I have thought too much about it.

Here is a good link for Asatru. They are Australian based.

https://www.aetaustralia.org/

Yes! I feel that we have the option to have it all in the western world. And having it all is making us sick.

Now this may spark a huge can of worms but - nowdays women are expected to do it all and have it all. We are expected to raise a family AND have a career and better ourselves in our spare time

Jeeze, wasnt life simpler when we would do one or the other? Why is the role of Mother no longer considered enough?

Slightly off topic but i wanted to use that as an example of the way we are making our roles less valid buy the "having it all" mentality.

I think i agree with you about that it just might be one
of the things wrong today

Vander,



I'm talking about the purpose of an individual within a community.

On another thread there is some talk about drug abusers, haroin addicts etc...and it got me thinking...those people are very much without purpose in thier lives...they do not truly believe in themselves and certainly have no clear goal in life.

They typically feel unloved and worthless, yet they are able to survive within thier own little worlds with the use of drugs, and can imagine themselves greater then they truly believe they are.

Now what if those same people had been raised in a society that honored thier very being...just for being alive?

What if each of those people had been given a specific job or task...such as being an artist for the community, or house builder, or maybe simply someone that cleaned the streets, but that all those jobs were honorable jobs, and ones that they could feel proud of?

Would those same people be on the streets doing drugs and barely living at all?

I don't think so.

TreeBee...ya I'm with you there...I almost feel like society is punishing us for wanting to be more, or different to be honest...so now they are saying...fine you got what you wanted...but you still have to do all the stuff you did before!!!

Personally, I am more suited to the carreer and my husband to stay at home mommy......and I am finding that it is true for many, but still is catching on...LOL.

Just as soon as my business can make his wage or higher...he is coming home..and I'm going to work full time.

Good Points!!!

Cobber...will go look at the link a little later...seems interesting.

Namaste

Shannix 8)

I agree, and as in the ending of Candide, (if anyone read it)
being productive keeps you happy and content. And we all know drugs make you happy for a short time, but when your satisfied
then you don't need drugs. Kudos.

Well throughout history one's purpose in life was usually decided for us, now we have to discover it, and alot of people are having trouble doing so. I do not think this means we should turn the clock back to when somebody else told you what your purpose in life was, there are good reasons why that ideology was taken out bit by bit from western society. I think the solution is to simply help define some of these choices for life's purpose and make such definitions available through literature, arts, ect. I mean it'd be alot easier to decide when there are clear options out there, right now there are just stereotypes everybody is negative about and a mixmatch of concepts one can make. If there were some publication of archtypes of purpose, or something of the like, it might be benificial to many lost souls.

I agree totally.

I also think that we need more effective rites of passage. Although it may seem barbaric to ritualistically tattoo/scar young men and women, the experience gives them something that our youth lack: confidence. once you have lived through something like that, there is nothing life can throw at you that you can't handle.

good idea. rite of passage is non-existent in western society today, and honestly I don't see why. Its like the only rite of passage we have is getting s***faced on 21. Sad. Tho as to what would be a positive rite of passage that would make sense in our society, I have no clue.