how often at various stages of my life have I pondered about this question..
when I see generation after generation of people brought to this earth, grow up as children, hope to find love, get married, have children, get a job, grow old, sometimes going through the motions as though it were a chore, especially when providence is uncertain, worrying about tomorrow. makes me ask, what is the point? so that one generation can learn to be more successful than the previous generation - as would be predicted by evolution based on adaptation to survive? adaptation to survive works when there is relative stability in environment, but not so much in environmental catastrophes, where survival does not depend on physical traits but by what people might call luck.
it is only in times of stability when we can "teach ourselves strategies that will allow us to become prosperous". but the world is not so stable is it? whether it is environmental disasters or unpredictable markets. when there is uncertainty, so-called "strategies" can fail. (so how can we rely on them?)
we are told from young - we must study hard, get many As, get into the best programmes, get all the relevant experiences, get many qualifications (the higher the better), and qualifications lead to better paying jobs, and then we don't need to worry about feeding ourselves (and our kids), getting a house. this message is ingrained when parents sign kids up for special tuition to take special exams. this message is ingrained when students take part in various activities (CCA, CIP, attachments...) to boost CV. this message is ingrained when students stay in school after the first degree to get a masters thinking it might give them an extra edge (which might not be true in every area of study).
when I see people using ways and means (lawful or not) to get around the system to climb the social or corporate ladder, I see it as a result of people's goal of being more successful than another, being more prosperous than another, maybe so that no one may look down on them, maybe so that one day they have something they can boast about.
and even when people become prosperous - are they satisfied?
could it be to fulfill childhood dreams? for some people fulfilling their dreams means getting the dream car dream house dream clothes/shoes. for some people fulfilling their dreams means doing something that helps them express themselves. for some people fulfilling their dreams means going to this place and that, to see the world, to meet lots of people. a lot of these dreams are self-centred dreams. but not everyone gets to fulfill their dreams, perhaps due to circumstance. so it cannot be that we live so as to fulfill our dreams, some lucky ones do. but that is not the end goal of living this life.
but everyone has a chance to find happiness, whatever their circumstance and situation.
i think, the purpose of this life is to learn to love. not just to be loved.
it is not so difficult to be loved - one can do things to try to attract people's adoration.
In learning to love, we learn
To treat any and everyone with care and respect
To give people the benefit of doubt
To be filled with compassion but not hatred
=> To be able to forgive
To be humble to learn from everyone
While not compromising on what is right and what is wrong
Such love may be viewed by people as foolish, as placing yourself in a situation where others could take advantage of you, or a situation where you receive no thanks for what you do. Certainly, loving others opens us to to disappointments or despair. But it is not about what you get in return for what you do. Your actions reinforce your principles. It's about what kind of character you build when you do certain things. It's between you and God and nobody else. And in difficult times, learning to love as we remind ourselves of God's love for us helps us-
To see any little blessing and find joy in it
To see God's providence and protective hand - and therefore be able to trust in it
That's all we really need to learn in this world - that we are loved by God and we should share this great love with the world.
