If Life Feels Pointless, Read This

One night, not too long ago, I found myself lying awake at 2 a.m., staring at the ceiling. My mind wasn’t on deadlines or emails or the errands I’d forgotten to run. It was heavier than that. I caught myself asking the question I’ve quietly carried since I was a kid: Why am I here?

And I don’t just mean me—the person tossing and turning in bed—but everything. Why the stars spin. Why ants march in their endless lines. Why there’s this strange, buzzing order in the middle of chaos.

It struck me that I wasn’t the first to wrestle with this. Socrates, Sartre, countless others had sat with this same silence. Yet, the more I pressed, the more I realized there isn’t a neat answer waiting in some hidden book. Purpose, I think, isn’t a single revelation. It’s more like thirst. You drink from one layer—career, love, family, creativity—and it satisfies for a moment, only to reveal a deeper yearning underneath.

Today, I want to walk with you through those layers—connecting the purpose of your own life to the larger purpose (or maybe purposelessness) of the universe itself. Because you can’t fully understand one without bumping into the other.

This isn’t about me handing you a ready-made answer (spoiler: there isn’t one). It’s about stripping away the illusions, so you can live with clarity and intention.

Along the way, I'll weave in timeless wisdom from thinkers who've wrestled with this before us, plus fresh insights from science and studies on human fulfillment. Ready? Let's begin with the basics—what even is purpose?

Defining Purpose: The Why Behind the What

Purpose, at its heart, is the reason something exists or acts. Take a simple pen: It's crafted to write, to capture thoughts on paper. Sure, you could use it to twirl noodles or wage epic desk battles (ah, those schoolyard pen fights—who didn't play?). But use beside its core function, and it falls short of its potential—underutilized, disconnected, gathering dust. The same goes for us. Every being evolves with inherent qualities that hint at its role. A snake slithers without legs, armed with venom, evoking caution rather than a footrace. We don't expect it to sprint; we respect its design.

For humans, purpose unfolds in layers, much like an onion—each revealing more, sometimes with tears. We start with the biological: survival instincts wired into our DNA. A newborn cries for milk, clings to safety, claims whatever's near as "mine." Fast-forward to adulthood, and those echoes persist—we hoard possessions, crave love and attention, stockpile food (hello, overflowing fridges). It's primal, shared with animals who hunt, mate, and protect their turf. But here's where it gets interesting: Even animals chase these basics, yet we humans sense something more. As Aristotle noted, our purpose isn't mere survival but eudaimonia—flourishing through virtue and reason, achieving our highest potential.

Dig deeper, and you hit the psychological layer: self-esteem, happiness, a sense that we matter. Studies show that meaning here stems from coherence (life making sense), purpose (direction), and significance (impact on others). Then comes the social: status among peers, family, society. Are we respected, influential, or scraping the bottom? An animal seeks rank in its pack; we do the same, but with Instagram likes and corner offices.

The catch? These layers—biological, psychological, social—leave us wanting. Fulfill them, and emptiness lingers. Why? Because they're animal instincts in human clothing. Success feels ultimate until you realize it's relative, a competition born of evolution. Earn the money, snag the respect, and... now what? As Nietzsche warned, in a godless world, we must create our own values , lest we fall into nihilism. Or consider Camus: Life is absurd, without inherent meaning, so we rebel by embracing it fully, defying the void. These aren't just dusty ideas; modern research backs them. A Pew study across 17 economies found family, work, and relationships top sources of meaning, yet many report a nagging incompleteness. What's missing? The human edge: intelligence to transcend these base drives.

The Manipulators Within: Breaking Free from False Purposes

Think about it—we rail against social media algorithms, corporations, and influencers puppeteering our desires. But what about the internal ones? Your body screams for sleep, food, sex; society dangles money and status; family pushes for happiness on their terms. These are the real manipulators, ancient mechanisms steering us like unwitting marionettes. Walk past a bakery, and suddenly you're "starving." Hear a dissenting opinion online, and rage bubbles up, unexamined. As Sartre put it, existence precedes essence—we're born blank slates, free to define ourselves, but often we let conditioning fill the void.

Ninety-nine percent of us never choose freely; we're nudged by programming. But here's our superpower: Awareness. Unlike animals, we can spot these impulses, question them, and opt out. Viktor Frankl, survivor of Nazi camps, found meaning in suffering by choosing attitude over circumstance—logotherapy's core: Meaning is discovered, not invented, through work, love, and courage. Studies confirm: A strong sense of meaning buffers against depression, boosts health, and even extends life. Freeing yourself from lower purposes doesn't mean purposelessness; it means rising above. If life has no pre-set script, is that despair or liberation? Neither extreme—chasing success for validation or quitting because "nothing matters"—serves you. The former traps you in comparison; the latter wastes potential. Instead, aim for the peak: Experience life totally, unburdened.

And what of the world? Your purpose mirrors the universe's. Science says the cosmos sprang from a singularity in the Big Bang—no external cause, just quantum fluctuations birthing something from "nothing." Physicist Sean Carroll argues it's purposeless, governed by laws without teleology. Yet some see fine-tuning for life, hinting at direction toward consciousness. Eastern symbols like the ouroboros—a snake eating its tail—depict eternal cycles: birth from void, return to void, infinite and reasonless. The universe exists without why, just as you do. Its "purpose"? To be, to cycle, to allow peaks of experience. You're not separate; you're a wave in the ocean, connected to stars and ants alike.

Living the Layers: From Survival to Summit

So, if purpose is living fully, how do we do it? It's not ascetic denial (Schopenhauer's will-negation) or blind faith (Kierkegaard), but a balanced ascent. Honor the layers—nourish your body, build self-worth, contribute socially—but don't stop there. Transcend by pursuing excellence in all realms: Body, mind, spirit. Be spiritual yet sexy, truthful yet prosperous, helpful yet ambitious. Why? Because playing the game of life half-heartedly is like climbing a mountain and stopping at base camp. The view from the top—the peak experience—is the point.

Research from the Greater Good Science Center outlines three pillars of meaning: Mattering (your contributions count), purpose (goals with impact), and comprehension (life's coherence). Frontline studies show goal-setting crafts purpose, turning abstract thirst into concrete action. Mohist philosophy adds universal love as a guide: Care impartially, extending beyond self.

Your Path to the Peak: Practical Steps to Live Totally

Enough philosophy—let's make this actionable. Here's a simple framework to peel the layers and reach your summit:

• Audit Your Influences: Track a day. Note impulses—hunger, anger, envy. Ask: Is this me, or conditioning? Journal to build awareness, freeing you from manipulators.

• Set Layered Goals: Biological: Exercise daily for vitality. Psychological: Pursue hobbies that spark joy and growth. Social: Build relationships that uplift, not define you. Transcendent: Dedicate time to creation—art, innovation, service—that echoes eternally.

• Embrace the Absurd: Like Camus, rebel through action. Volunteer, learn a skill, travel. Studies link prosocial behavior to meaning; helping others amplifies your sense of significance.

• Cultivate Coherence: Meditate or reflect weekly. Connect personal purpose to the cosmic: You're a brief spark in infinity—make it bright.

• Measure by Experience, Not Outcome: Success matters, but as a byproduct. Aim for flow states—those immersive peaks where time vanishes. Research shows they correlate with lasting fulfillment.

Start small: Today, choose one act that feels fully alive. A walk in nature, a deep conversation, a bold decision. Build from there.

The Summit Awaits: Life as Its Own Reward

In the end, life's purpose isn't a destination but the climb itself—the thirst quenched not by answers, but by immersion. The universe cycles without reason, birthing wonders from void; you, its conscious fragment, exist to taste the heights. Whether through Aristotle's virtue, Frankl's resilience, or the simple act of loving universally, the message is clear: Live fully, totally (that is the purpose). Free yourself from illusions, scale your peaks, and in that fullness, find everything—meaning, love, success—woven into the fabric of being.

You're not here to merely survive or compete; you're here to experience the exquisite intensity of existence. So, what will you do next? The thirst is yours to satisfy. Go on, friend—live like the universe depends on it. (Because in a way, it does.)

Have a great day,

- Trishan Lekhi.