There is, or should be, a purpose to what we do. For example, I’m a writer. The purpose of writing is human communication - people talking to people. My last book is currently at the First Chapters writing competition (http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976905258). I’d appreciate it if you’d take a look, vote for it, or someone else’s, or submit your own. (It’s only the first couple of pages of the book, so it’s not very long to read.) It’s an anti-war book, and the purpose is to get people to understand that this particular war is wrong, and has to be stopped.
It is however, with great dismay that I find that people don’t understand the general purpose for writing. Perhaps I should clarify - writing is human communication, people talking to people. But I get a lot of feedback at various writing forums that is wholly concerned with technique. Things like - you can’t write in the present tense; you can’t go beyond the strict rules of grammar and punctuation just to suit your own style; you have to do it this way if you want to get published or even be read by anyone.
In effect they’re saying - if you want to tell a story, you have to do it "this way." I’m astounded, it’s as if they cannot think for themselves. Their mindset is so overwhelmed by the few stock principles and rules they’ve been taught, that there isn’t room for anything else. No room to get beyond their preconceptions and prejudices, no capacity to think outside the box.
I feel sorry for them. Sorry for us that so many people can’t think beyond what they’ve been taught. Or what they’ve been told by someone they’ve been told is an authority figure; someone to be believed without questioning; without trying to find the truth for themselves.
Purpose is something everyone wants, perhaps it is the one essential that everyone wants.
I think our purpose is to make this a better place. I try to do that by communicating thoughts and ideas with other people.