The map to a good life: Do we need a purpose in life?

2026 09 17 Owen Yang

In the post map to a good life , I agree with the four well-life elements: possessing wealth, possessing time, good health, and good relationships. But what about a purpose in life?

There is sometimes a benefit in believing or sensing there is a long-term purpose in life.

As a doctor, there is one particular scenario where I see a purpose may be relevant, which is at the end of life. If you are someone who has faith or belief in a purpose in life, a sense of achievement does create peace among yourself and your loved ones when the light dims. Even when the purpose has not been achieved, believe it or not, a sense of having pursued a purpose, or even a sense of regret never having pursued the purpose, could provide some sort of anchor for peacefulness.

In a society where social rules are strong, it is easy for most people to have a purpose in life defined by the society: marriage, children, family, religion, country. Some people have a purpose in their career, sports, or personal interests.

However, there is no reason someone needs to have a sense of purpose. In fact, I feel nowadays more people do not have any purpose in life, and that should be respected. We could be too busy surviving, or too distracted to develop a long-term sense or belief. Sometimes we could be too wise to feel there is a purpose in life.

If you have a sense of purpose in life, I still feel we need to be mindful of maintaining some level of wealth, time, health, and relationships as our long-term safety net. As a society, I guess it will be beneficial if we can allow safety nets for those who are passionate and willing to give up anything, but as an individual, it will be wise to secure our own safety net.