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Expanding on the idea that an individual acts with purpose, based upon a feeling of “want” and/or a feeling of need, the longevity of that act is measured by their level of willpower. How an individual acts is based on want vs need. If someone feels like they want to take action, then they are acting for a purpose. If someone feels like they need to take action, then they are acting on purpose.
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I compare the idea of measuring one’s level of willpower to a kind of internal “power bar”, like the ones you would see in a fighting game. The metaphor of an imaginary “willpower bar” is a concept of measuring the amount of “fight” within the individual to take action on whatever it is that is granting a sense of purpose. The rate at which that willpower diminishes for any action taken stems from whether the sense of purpose derives from a feeling of want or need.
Is Your Sense of Purpose Wanted…
Whenever someone “wants”, that means they are doing something for a purpose. Nine times out of ten that will transmute a weak level of willpower, and their imaginary “willpower bar” depletes very quickly as they act upon their wants. The “willpower bar” depletes for the purpose of achieving the want. The reason for this theory is two-fold:
1. Once the want is satisfied then it is game over and the willpower bar no longer exists, at least until the next game of want.
2. The willpower bar empties before the want is attained, because too much time has passed. Wants based on desire alone typically have a shelf life. This theory is comparable to “committed” relationships that are built on lust (which is raw desire). If the shelf life of the desire for the want expires, the individual loses sight of purpose and moves on to find new interests to spark that desire to want, and refuel a short term sense of purpose.
This theory is evident in many facets of our post scarcity world, where our economy thrives on this consumption based psychology of wants for sustainability. The consumer economy perpetuates a short term sense of purpose in individuals and feeds off the weak “willpower bars” of the average consumer and shopaholic (albeit true, I must add that it just sounds diabolical by design).
…or Is Your Sense of Purpose Needed?
Whenever someone “needs”, then that means they are doing something on purpose. Generally this transmutes a very strong level of willpower, and their “willpower bar” will deplete very slowly when acting upon those needs. “Needs” manifest a long term sense of purpose when compared to “wants”. When someone feels that they need to do something, the act is often held in regard as either a matter of personal responsibility or obligation (depending on perspective). A funny example of this perspective would be a parent asking their child to take out the trash. Both understand that the task needs to be done, but although the parent may think that they are teaching “responsibility” to their offspring, from the child’s perspective they may only see taking out the family’s garbage as an “obligation”.
Regardless if the personal perception of the “need” is regarded as a responsibility or an obligation, the individual’s level of willpower will be strong enough to sustain any activity long enough to see that the need continues to be met or seen through to the end. I use the term “end” loosely here, because unlike wants – needs come from a much deeper sense of purpose that is not as easily swayed. For example, try betting someone to hold their breath for a day. They may take you up on that bet, and on a side note they may also not know much about human biology. Now although they may want to win your bet, their need to breathe will take the fight right out of their purpose to hold their breath, and empty their “willpower bar” to do so before they can. This is why the willpower attached to a need always trumps the willpower attached to a want, meaning that the feeling of need is a stronger sense of purpose, and creates the perception of precedence for an individual’s level of willpower to take action upon it.
A Recipe for Passion
When a feeling of want converges with a feeling of need, we experience a feeling of passion. Passion can be described as a feeling of want that is as strong as the need to breathe. Passion is when someone is simultaneously taking action for a purpose, on purpose. The purpose is not only a desire, but an act of personal responsibility. In this context the need is perceived as responsibility opposed to obligation, because the feeling of want means that the need is a desirable one. So what does passion do for our sense of purpose? My theory about the effect of this recipe:
1. Feeling of Want + Feeling of Need = Passion
2. If passion means simultaneously acting for a purpose, on purpose
3. Then passion = desire + responsibility
4. A desired responsibility creates a meaningful sense of purpose
It’s within that meaningful sense of purpose that we as human beings feel important. The feeling of importance makes us feel valuable. This is the key to feeling “alive” or full of life, which is why you hear so many public speakers stress how important it is to “find your passion in life”. Passion encourages the perception of life being more valuable than death. I will not go so far as to assume that passion is the meaning of life, but I will certainly argue until the day I die how it is empirically evident that passion can provide one’s life with meaning.
Whenever someone “wants”, that means they are doing something for a purpose. Nine times out of ten that will transmute a weak level of willpower, and their imaginary “willpower bar” depletes very quickly as they act upon their wants. The “willpower bar” depletes for the purpose of achieving the want. The reason for this theory is two-fold:
1. Once the want is satisfied then it is game over and the willpower bar no longer exists, at least until the next game of want.
2. The willpower bar empties before the want is attained, because too much time has passed. Wants based on desire alone typically have a shelf life. This theory is comparable to “committed” relationships that are built on lust (which is raw desire). If the shelf life of the desire for the want expires, the individual loses sight of purpose and moves on to find new interests to spark that desire to want, and refuel a short term sense of purpose.
This theory is evident in many facets of our post scarcity world, where our economy thrives on this consumption based psychology of wants for sustainability. The consumer economy perpetuates a short term sense of purpose in individuals and feeds off the weak “willpower bars” of the average consumer and shopaholic (albeit true, I must add that it just sounds diabolical by design).
…or Is Your Sense of Purpose Needed?
Whenever someone “needs”, then that means they are doing something on purpose. Generally this transmutes a very strong level of willpower, and their “willpower bar” will deplete very slowly when acting upon those needs. “Needs” manifest a long term sense of purpose when compared to “wants”. When someone feels that they need to do something, the act is often held in regard as either a matter of personal responsibility or obligation (depending on perspective). A funny example of this perspective would be a parent asking their child to take out the trash. Both understand that the task needs to be done, but although the parent may think that they are teaching “responsibility” to their offspring, from the child’s perspective they may only see taking out the family’s garbage as an “obligation”.
Regardless if the personal perception of the “need” is regarded as a responsibility or an obligation, the individual’s level of willpower will be strong enough to sustain any activity long enough to see that the need continues to be met or seen through to the end. I use the term “end” loosely here, because unlike wants – needs come from a much deeper sense of purpose that is not as easily swayed. For example, try betting someone to hold their breath for a day. They may take you up on that bet, and on a side note they may also not know much about human biology. Now although they may want to win your bet, their need to breathe will take the fight right out of their purpose to hold their breath, and empty their “willpower bar” to do so before they can. This is why the willpower attached to a need always trumps the willpower attached to a want, meaning that the feeling of need is a stronger sense of purpose, and creates the perception of precedence for an individual’s level of willpower to take action upon it.
A Recipe for Passion
When a feeling of want converges with a feeling of need, we experience a feeling of passion. Passion can be described as a feeling of want that is as strong as the need to breathe. Passion is when someone is simultaneously taking action for a purpose, on purpose. The purpose is not only a desire, but an act of personal responsibility. In this context the need is perceived as responsibility opposed to obligation, because the feeling of want means that the need is a desirable one. So what does passion do for our sense of purpose? My theory about the effect of this recipe:
1. Feeling of Want + Feeling of Need = Passion
2. If passion means simultaneously acting for a purpose, on purpose
3. Then passion = desire + responsibility
4. A desired responsibility creates a meaningful sense of purpose
It’s within that meaningful sense of purpose that we as human beings feel important. The feeling of importance makes us feel valuable. This is the key to feeling “alive” or full of life, which is why you hear so many public speakers stress how important it is to “find your passion in life”. Passion encourages the perception of life being more valuable than death. I will not go so far as to assume that passion is the meaning of life, but I will certainly argue until the day I die how it is empirically evident that passion can provide one’s life with meaning.
