Comments on: Manvotional: The Power of Purpose

By: M.A.E.Son

M.A.E.Son — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 04:37:02 +0000

Wow! I’m just amazed that there are others like myself who values purpose in life as much as I do. There aren’t a lot of people from where I am that show they stand for something. I’ve always yearned for someone that I can truly respect, and that I would have privilege of being his friend, even went as far as to actually dream of both of us going up against a tyrant, and being honored as the nation’s heroes who freed the masses from the clutches of the abuser. HAHAHAH!!! Every know and then, I have my fair share of “HELLacious” probs, but there was never a time that I didn’t think my approach through and how it would mesh with the principles I hold so dearly. Still, I have committed many regrettable mistakes. But in the end, I believe it was the volition that counts even though it never yielded rewards like exaltation. I am glad to have read this article!!! =)

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:57:55 +0000

This strikes real close to home for me, especially since it’s something I’ve been experiencing. When you are mastered by an idea, or purpose as the writer puts it, being deterred is next to impossible

By: Julius

Julius — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 03:34:23 +0000

WOW! Just, WOW! Fantastic article, very well written and meaningful. Like another commenter mentioned, I wish the article would’ve covered how those without purpose go about finding one. @Pat, you’re speaking the truth, with so many choices before us today we hesitate, we flinch about possible making a wrong choice now when a better opportunity could be waiting in the wings. A paradox…

By: Pat

Pat — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 14:28:40 +0000

I think part of the reason it seems that my generation (I am 22) finds it more difficult to find purpose than say, our grandfathers, is the overwhelming options that are presented to us, whether that be career-wise, relationship-wise, product/consumer-wise. We no longer inherit the trade of the father (ie. farmer, carpenter, butcher) that in past generations would be handed down to the son. He may spend his whole childhood and teenage years being groomed for this profession, which inevitably instills a direct purpose for the son. Sure, perhaps the son who inherits a farm would make a great astronaut in another life, but nonetheless, the life of a farmer is what he was born into and he accepts it as his purpose.

The same can be said for relationships. We no longer live in a rural-based, small-town world where you romantic ‘options’ were limited to Jane and Karen down the street. I take the subway to work during the week in Toronto, and I began to realize that the amount of incredibly good-looking women on the TTC is probably not good for my wandering eye. It broadens the potential pool so much, that it makes the man unwilling to dive in for any water at all.

What this boils down to: while it is still easily possible to gain meaningful purpose in our life, I think it is harder for us to be as accepting and happy with our ‘choice’ of purpose. With the superfluity of purposes to be had, even if we find a purpose that should, theoretically, maximize our purposeness in life, we will always be able to compare it to the good points of thousands of other purposes we could have chosen and thus, always have some level of regret with our choice.

It is ironic how our culture based on choice and personal happiness actually destroys both: we seize up and become unable to choose anything, and become unhappy as a result of any choices we have to make.

I don’t think that this should discourage young men like me, however, rather it should inspire us as we a) diagnose the problem and b) be satisfied with the choice we make, and avoid regret. However, this is a whole other topic that I won’t even bother to begin talking about here.

I gained a lot of this insight through both my own personal experience and a phenomenal book- “The Paradox of Choice”. Look it up on Amazon. It is worth the 12 bucks.

By: Nick Ward

Nick Ward — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 03:05:09 +0000

You just got bookmarked. Very well written.

By: Taylor

Taylor — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:34:38 +0000

Thank you for writing this; it’s a magnificent essay. Your imagery puts the power of purpose into perspective. Articles like these keep me coming back for more.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:13:31 +0000

I think many of the commentors here have misinterpreted the article. I don’t believe Mr. Parkhurst was trying to imply that you find a purpose in anything you are trying to acheive. I think it’s the other way around. I believe he meant that you should stand for something – have beliefs that are not easily swayed. If fact he says so in the first sentence:
“I always want to know whether he stands for anything in particular”. And this certainly is something that we should all strive for. We should not allow our values to be manipulated by media, poltiicians, schemers and theives. Stand strong in your beliefs and only amend them when your personal experience commands you to do so. He even mentions that people who hold strong to their beliefs are often difficult to be around – “There may be a certain stringency and aggressiveness about them sometimes that makes them uncomfortable, a kind of directness about them that makes them inevitable, but there is no mistaking their meaning.” One of the big problems of the world is that people who have an average or high level of morality can often swayed from their beliefs (by television or the common mistake of believing everything presented as truth by an authorative figure), making them often apathetic or disinterested in others suffering. What the author is saying is don’t let this happen. Don’t be hollow. Be solid like an Oak tree. Have purpose in your soul, then any endevour you undertake with your hands (which will come from a natural extension of that purpose) will be done with purpose as well, and little, if anything will move you.

By: Define It

Define It — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 03:13:43 +0000

Gentlemen,

I note that there is a lot of commentary on the “how” to find that purpose, that “hidden” meaning, that drive to guide one in life. I spent a lot of time “soul-searching” for this myself, until it dawned on me one day – out of the blue – that there IS NO such a hidden meaning to one’s life – all one has to do is simply DEFINE, consciously, what one’s purpose shall be, and follow that to the letter. You do not “find” yourself, you DEFINE yourself.

By: Ivan

Ivan — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 05:46:10 +0000

for all you gents looking to find your purpose you should check out “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl. It had a profound effect on me.

By: Zach Q

Zach Q — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:02:05 +0000

Wow, Imp of Fame may have just changed my life. Well said, well said.