HACKER Q&A
📣 trwhite

What's Your Purpose in Life?


A recent breakup forced me to think a little about what I want from life. My ex was a doctor, which she'd trained a big chunk of her life to do. Her purpose was to help people live longer.

I'm 28. I have a well-paid tech job that I don't have to work overtime for, but I don't feel as optimistic about technology as I did when I was 20. It pays the bills.

I have various hobbies that I enjoy doing but I'm not really good at any single one of them: I run, hike, cook, write poems & essays, paint. My life seems to switch between periods of divergence (trying out several things) and convergence (focussing on a few).

I would like to have accomplished something before I start to think about settling down and having kids. Has anyone else had this experience?

  👤 throwaway743 Accepted Answer ✓
Most ponder this. Some figure it out, some later than others, and some don't at all.

You make your purpose, whatever it may be. What's important though is to acknowledge what you do for a living doesn't make you who you are. Even if you just enjoy your time while you're here alive, you're giving your life purpose.

My personal decision on the matter has been to help others through building tools within the abilities of my current and future skills that I have/will develop. It makes me happy to see others better off, in addition to the possibility that they can pay it forward if they so wish to.

Aside from personal offerings bringing a sense of fulfillment, I'd just like to enjoy what our planet and cultures have to offer, and time with loved ones while we all still can.

👤 lordkrandel
If you've striving to find something, you'll regret it. Embrace wrecking. "We lost, you refuse to realize it at all costs." https://youtu.be/VU02xELF1uE
👤 h2odragon
According to my hounds: To taste as much of the world as we can comfortably reach.

Works for me.

👤 kasperset
There will be times when it all feels mundane but just hang on. You have so much time ahead of you. Everyone will have their challenges in their own way.
👤 beauHD
I used to work in tech, specifically a boutique web design shop. I enjoyed it, but I also done web development as a hobby, so a large chunk of my time was spent coding, which turned coding into a chore, since I both worked and played at the same activity. I changed course in my career and chose a non-tech job, which activated other areas of my brain and built up social skills I otherwise would not have gotten in a tech job.

I'm not sure about your situation: do you code as a hobby too? If you do, maybe consider choosing a different field to work in?

👤 1sembiyan
> I would like to have accomplished something before I start to think about settling down and having kids.

It’s not an either/or. You could have kids and do other things. One of my regrets in life is not having kids earlier in life. Few things have given me as much pleasure as spending time with the little ones and watching them explore the world.