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Legal
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The Search For PurposeWe all search for a purpose beyond ourselves. We look for that something that is worth our devotion, our effort, and our belief. The search for purpose takes many forms and many different paths throughout our lifetimes. We search for something greater than ourselves, something on which to hang the very essence of our lives. The search for purpose is part of the human spiritual condition. While we all search for a purpose, we may not recognize the search from other life-long activities. I believe that drug and alcohol abuse stem from this search and the inability to find an answer that satisfies something deep within. Modern religions and many worthwhile organizations supply a false sense of purpose because instead of encouraging an inward-directed search for purpose and spirituality they provide an easy avenue for an outward-directed search. An external activity can take on an aspect of fanaticism caused by desperation. We need a purpose, whether that be our children, our mates, our jobs, or service to others. The dissatisfaction with our search can show up in little, well-meaning things we do. Things like expecting too much from a child, a mate, or a job than can logically be justified. However, we seldom recognize we are demanding more externally than internally. The success of modern religions is only one organization that benefits from this search for purpose. By converting to a religion and then attempting to convert everyone we meet, we give purpose to ourselves. By creating the feeling that we have found the way, the truth, the urge to spread that message becomes our purpose and indirectly our happiness and obsession. Cults exist because some find it easier to accept someone else’s vision of purpose than to continue searching. By accepting another person’s purpose, we fulfill our own need, but only externally. The less satisfied we really are with our external purpose the more fanatical we pursue it and the more obsessed we are in enforcing it. Depending on the degree of the obsession, based on our own feelings of superiority, we see nothing wrong in forced conversions or punishing those who refuse to add to our self-worth and happiness. Politics is another very popular area of organized search for purpose. The growth of political parties is based on ideological conversion. Each party tries its best to offer beliefs that often border on fanaticism. Political parties are much like religions in that they expect total acceptance and obedience from their members. But this is what the search for purpose demands. If the belief or ideology does not consume our thought, modify our living habits, and provide a feeling of rightness it cannot and will not hold our attention. We can see this type of fanaticism in environmental groups, anti-abortion groups, and many other worthwhile groups. The problem is not the groups but the over-zealousness of some members who demand the organization provide their reason for existence. Instead of recognizing the shallowness of their lives and attempting to find an internal purpose, they search for purpose outside of themselves. The less internal purpose they have appears to generate more external activity and fanatical adherence to their adopted and often temporary life-purpose. When two obsessions are combined, the individual becomes especially intolerant when thwarted in those external endeavors. We must closely monitor our drive for finding our purpose; otherwise, we can become so obsessed that we see no wrong when we think we are right. If we attempt to infringe the freedom of others for the sake of our search, we are approaching fanaticism. We must question our motives because while the search for purpose is desirable and necessary, it should never interfere with someone else’s search. (Nazism is a classic case of the combination of politics and religion gone amuck. But more on this in a future article - I hope.) When you find your purpose, you will know it and you will also realize that while you have no desire to force that purpose on others you are not ashamed to publicly profess it. Author: Don Miller
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2003 Articles
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