“Why should I do anything?” is a good and basal question. Certainly, sustenance, shelter and sex is the primary demands for survival and continued existence. An existence spent trying to be useful, to leave behind marks on the world and experience everything one might. Life isn’t so simple anymore. Civilizations allows for both great progress and great conflict. And our daily choices are a part of that global drama because humans tend to be egoistic and altruistic to an unparalleled extent. But being able to bask in the light of leisure, we could finally and seriously ask ourselves; What’s in it for me?
On one hand, there is self-fulfillment in it for you. Why should one aspire to be a writer or actor? Perhaps to satisfy an internal itch since childhood and/or experience as much happiness in this short life as possible. There are many reasons why people decide to accomplish goals, great or small. That rush of chemicals in the brain, interpreted as joy and satisfaction, is the final lap of self-fulfillment. Many say that that is reward enough, beyond what any ephemeral or materialistic source can provide. In the end, only you can feel your actions in the world. What else could be as authentic?
On the other hand, there is recognition in it for you. Aspiring to be a writer or actor might bring gain and glory. We are social creatures – like it or not – so any action we want to take is constantly under scrutiny and that fact never seems to fully escape the mind. It’s natural. To partake with others and feel that one fits in is necessary to-day. Gratification for deeds done and goals fulfilled can only be attained by viewing our own satisfied reflection in the faces of others. One needs other people in order to know where and how to sow and harvest our passions. What else could be as necessary?
As often, there is that third option that manages to mix the black and white into gray, or in this case, even more gray. Both of the above goals are essentially selfish, so there might not be a clear-cut answer to which of them is the more rewarding one, as is typical of individually/collectively constructed concepts. Instead, one ought to focus on the results one’s actions generate, period. No matter which path one chooses, there will always be people around to judge one’s achievements and always a “you” to experience that achievement.
On a side-note, I personally have been worried about the value of my goals depending on if I do what I do for myself or for others. Apparently, there might not be anything to worry about. I feel good simply doing what I do no matter if my motivation is under critique, and so should you dear reader.
Believer Beware 