Everything comes back to this question, right? What should we spend our time on? How should we spend it? With whom? So let’s get this out of the way.
Now, the best part about this question is that we can answer it pretty quickly (i.e., relax! Contrary to what you might think, this is a short article).
If you paid attention to at least one lecture during your mandatory schooling, you probably know by now that most of life is governed primarily by the laws of physics, which influence chemistry, which in turn gives us biology and our understanding of life—specifically, life here on Earth. Darwin and his theory of evolution make it clear that there is no inherent meaning behind how life has progressed. Random mutations in DNA cause organisms to change over time. The organisms with the fittest set of DNA survive and reproduce. That’s it. We are all just matter—then we die.
However, as humans, we are different: we were given consciousness. We can reflect upon our experience. So, while objectively speaking, everything in this world means nothing, subjectively speaking, it is up to each of us to give life our own meaning. I’m sure you’ve heard this before. It’s the core idea behind existentialism and the foundation upon which the rest of Compus material is based.
In this sense, life is like a painting. The colors you use don’t mean anything in and of themselves, but to the painter and the observer, the painting can hold great value. It’s up to you to decide what that value is. You only have one painting, but you can use whatever colors or techniques you want. You can create a still and calm painting, one of chaos, one of beauty, one of authenticity, or one of imitation—it’s all up to you. Some colors and combinations may be more precious to you, while others are preferred by different people. It’s up to each of us to decide what goes on our own canvas. And if we believe our painting can be enhanced by the work of another, we are free to let them contribute—to give color to each other’s paintings, and to each other’s lives.
Many of us already understand this idea but are left wondering: Okay, so what? Then what is the meaning of MY life? This is where Compus‘ content comes into play. Our goal is to provide the tools for:
A: Identifying the meaning of your life (self-discovery), and:
B: Aligning your life based on that meaning (self-alignment)
On the one hand, Self-discovery includes identifying your values, purpose, and conditions (your personality type, strengths, and weaknesses), as well as how you relate to others. In other words, finding the meaning of your life! On the other hand, self-alignment builds on this foundation of self-understanding to provide tools for personalizing different areas of life—everything from socialization and career to leisure, personal development, and finances. In other words, living your life to the fullest given what gives you a sense of meaning and satisfaction. Ultimately, together these two elements combines to enable self-aligned living: a greater more meaningful existence, to both you and to those you meet.
With that, we’re thrilled to welcome you to the Compus content and community. Don’t be a stranger—reach out!