Comments on “Schematic overview: purpose”

Enjoyable and/or Useful?

Jordan Bates 2017-08-30

Quick question, David: Would you say you’re advocating for doing things which are enjoyable and/or useful, or only things which are both enjoyable and useful? The former makes more sense to me as an approach to purpose.

Ideally both

David Chapman 2017-08-30

Yes—ideally both, but either is better than neither.

Realistically, some of life has to be doing things that are neither (unless one is very lucky). Meditation can help those seem somewhat meaningful anyway. But on the whole, they don’t contribute to what one would consider a meaningful life.

“Enjoyable and/or useful” is totally obvious, but seems to be necessary to say anyway: because so often people get captured by alternatives.

Thanks!

Jordan Bates 2017-08-30

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification! Take care.