Over 60 years ago, the song and movie score “What’s It All About?” were introduced to the world, echoing a timeless question: What’s it all about? What is your purpose in life?
This is a 7- minute “Deep Dive Podcast” into your purpose of life:
The question “What is the purpose of life for human beings?” – is one of the most profound and enduring inquiries ever asked.
This is my take on that question after 79+ short years on this planet — and after doing Imperative Self Analysis Therapy with more than 600 people over the past 36 years.
While the answers people give are as diverse as their life stories, I’ve noticed one core truth that runs quietly beneath them all:
If you’re having good experiences — you are able to accomplish getting your obsessions meet — or you believe they’re coming — you’re happy. But if there’s no hope, most people start to feel like life isn’t worth living.
This idea might sound simple. But after decades of listening to people explore their deepest drives, fears, and longings, I believe it holds something quietly profound.
The Emotional Equation of Hope
Life throws curveballs. Joy and pain trade places. But what sustains us isn’t just what’s happening now — it’s what we believe could happen next.
When people feel confident that something meaningful, pleasurable, or beautiful lies ahead, they have the strength to endure the present. Even hard times are easier to navigate if you believe they’re leading somewhere worthwhile.
The Purpose of Life
Here’s how I’ve come to see it:
The purpose of life is to collect as many good experiences as possible in the time we have on Earth.
Not necessarily dramatic or spectacular experiences. Not perfection. Just moments that feel alive, connected, real — moments that matter to you.
This is personal. Everyone defines a “good experience” differently. That’s not a flaw — that’s the design.
When Hope Disappears
The real danger isn’t pain. It’s hopelessness — the belief that there’s nothing good left ahead.
Again and again, I’ve seen that it’s not just suffering that drives people into despair — it’s the story that the suffering will never end, that life no longer holds anything of value or meaning.
And that’s when people begin to mentally or emotionally check out. Sometimes, even physically.
Viktor Frankl’s Story: Meaning as Survival
Viktor Frankl, a very famous psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, saw this firsthand in the concentration camps.
One prisoner had a dream he’d be liberated by March 30. That belief gave him strength. But when the date came and nothing happened, he collapsed — and died shortly after. Frankl believed it was the loss of hope, more than disease, that took his life.
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live,” Frankl wrote,
“can bear almost any ‘how.’”
Hope isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.
What This Means for Us
So what do we do with this insight?
- Start collecting. You don’t need one giant moment of glory. You need many small, meaningful moments. Make them. Notice them. Let them count.
- Define “good” for yourself. Is it deep conversation? Feeling useful? Watching the sky shift color? You get to decide.
- Rebuild hope, gently. If it’s gone, don’t force it. Just ask:
“What’s one thing that might feel good again?”
Let that tiny spark guide you back. If this didn’t work try - For those in hopelessness, experience the FreeSpotting technique (Link: FreeSpotting ), therapy, or the Suicide hotline. There is always hope!
Final Thought
Maybe we don’t need to figure out life’s grand secret.
Maybe we just need to live it well, moment by moment.
So here’s the compass I’ve come to trust:
The purpose of life is to collect as many good experiences as possible in the time we have on Earth.
And when that collection feels real — or even just possible — life starts to feel meaningful.
Clint77090@gmail.com