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On Finding Your Purpose in Life
A simple discussion, yet crucial, as AI continues to gain momentum: helping those wanting to coexist with these machines in terms of working, creating, contributing, and staying busy.
The robots are coming, and there's nothing to fear. Why? If you know where you intend/plan to be in Life, AI and robotics are the least of your worries. After all, where do you stand currently, given that robots will be smart and agile as we are? We can push back against human-shaped, automated silicon metals taking over us, but where does that bring things? There are countless reports about loneliness, "doomscrolling," and an innate disdain toward one another. Thanks to platforms like social media, insecure people have conflated their views as socio-political injustice: disagreeing with these people is a personal attack on their livelihoods, not the matter(s) in which they preach of/against. This has been the theme of my published essay Patches of Withering Grass, where "inveterate reprobates" concede, harnessing strict control over others to make themselves feel important, but in turn, they are dots on a population map—no different than anyone else. If your lives matter(ed), you'd make it as so; no need to coerce others believing in a broken mentality, rooted with begrudging disgust toward people different from you. We are not, nor ever will be, special; it's also no one's fault how you turned out. (I feel bad for young kids witnessing adults acting more immature than them; and you can find proof of that online.) If something isn't right, or you want to improve your current situation, you would something about it. Is taking accountability a sign of weakness?
Even those who are fully settled with themselves still sense fear heading into the Intelligent Age. There is hope left: finding your purpose in Life.
"Hello, ROBO-123! How's your day going?"
For the record, I have held mixed opinions about autonomous robots; however, societal conditions apparent today, at the expense of innocent citizens being hurt and/or killed, things are getting dreary. Perhaps, it's ourselves that need saving: a strive that many people aren't ready to discuss.
"The day robots are granted rights is the day we finally care about Life."
— Former coworker back in 2019
It's rare a former, personal colleague of mine had something worth quoting—an intelligent man who already knew what's to happen. He was the first person I worked with who didn't mind rights given to robots, when asked; I've gotten a "no" from everyone else. Let's assume that that's the result: in this case, it's creeping in, with people losing their sense of selves not willing to do anything, creating or producing art, teaching/spreading knowledge, having intelligent discussions, nor making any self-improvements thereof. If robots are given rights this 2026 year, would an uprising from all citizens run amok? I feel as though people, namely here in the US, have gotten too comfortable to pursue any changes. There's no rhyme or reason to lift a finger; yet, when a current event breaks headlines, they're able to post on social media, ranting and whining about doing something: falsely considered "productive" when it's not. If you want to see change in this world, shouldn't you act/work on it? Whining about it on social media may bring attention, but the message(s) you spread is ineffective without action; one person can't think of every solution, as problems take years to analyze, especially under the request of satisfying your self-importance. Such behavior relegates to "someone else do something about my complaints because I'm too busy," attitudes—especially when given the chance/opportunity in doing something about it. It's like they're giving themselves a reason to be angry, which, as you know, is bad for your blood pressure (oh, but it's "their body, their choice," right?). At this point, given that I've talked about this for years, people are unwilling to change for the good; they don't want to take accountability, and if so, they've not learned from it. Global society is tired more than ever, yet many of us, spectating, are to blame for "lack of empathy." Maybe that former coworker of mine, quoted above, may be right: grant robots similar rights as we do, and then people will do something about it (maybe). Then again, that comes with a price: you and your well-being. Should you still fear? Us humans are about to be a "thing of the past," so what more is there for us? If we, humans, are becoming "planned obsolescence," what good is ourselves at this point?
Robots are going to be fine, often accompanied with human chaparones. The question remaining is what will you be doing for the next 50-70 years of your lives? "Doomscroll?" Complain about politics? The world will need more creators and producers to fill the void, as citizens will continue to consume mercilessly. There's more than enough social and political commentary on YouTube—most of which could be summed up in written form without adding strain on internet bandwidth and storage—relentless consumption of electrical and hydrological resources (Google, please make note of this). Anyway, that hidden, creative deficit will creep up, yet there may not be enough to entertain and engage the masses, be it emotional or intellectual. Perhaps it's your turn to shine: find who you are and what you're all about. However, I understand that doing so, and getting started, isn't easy. There's no other tactical way in outdoing these robots at their pace, so for that, this is, and will be, your only chance: extend human legacy while we're still here. Then again, berating others for who they are, their beliefs, and/or committing crimes is also an option, if staying in prison serves you best. You either make, perhaps share, meaning of living by teaching, creating, producing, or be another disposable road-congesting dot with no purpose besides hating others for doing something with their lives. (I'm not proud in saying that I personally know 10+ people who fall under that category. They really don't have much to do beyond themselves, their jobs, etc.)
"Delivery of Your Identity has been delayed. Please check back again for shipment updates."
In case it wasn't mentioned previously on my blogs, I've had the misfortune of growing up with folks, including befriending some, who were severely insecure. While insecurity is common among us, myself included, it takes a lot of time and effort knowing and accepting oneself; this is something you learn during your teenage years. The problem is not everyone has had the luxury of taking time for themselves, often due to their current circumstances or selfish needs/wants. That, too, leads to another problem: making bad decisions in the process without a care for thinking twice. Remember this: if you're passionate about something, you'd make time for it. Using myself as an example, it wasn't until a year after high school, in 2006, where I took time learning and knowing myself; this all involved searching for meaning, critically think further, learning about my ethnic heritage, and what I wanted out of Life. When I was a kid, I'm reminded how memory loss was a likelihood as you aged, and having recalled that, I wanted to keep my brain active learning about, well, everything. This took years to partake in, and by 2009, having bought my first non-fiction book, I was off. In conjunction with that, I took up writing/blogging on a personal blog I've maintained back then, as writing was therapeutic when the going gets tough. Any hardships I had, whether it was dating, studying, strengthening my skills, networking and meeting new people, I developed a routine working on it sooner than later. I couldn't let a mystery linger for long, as that hinders my living and focus in what I'm working on; and so I've made valiant efforts to figure things out as I went. This worked most of the time, but not always. As I grew older, I've become accepting in trusting the process and letting things be; whoever I was in touch with, what ever they were going through, I'd just go with their flow; I also limited connections with those who were just awful, and 'low-key' miserable. These were all things learned along the way, and that's fine!
Toughest thing was having previously connected with someone I knew hated themselves, or has always had low self-esteem. What's weird is that some of these insecure people are within their mid- to late 30s, some in the 40s, not having a care for who they are. It's like they need someone else to prove their self-acceptance, when this is all a personal issue no one can help with. If you know someone like that, remind yourselves this: whoever that insecure person is, or heard of, mark them as a lesson to never become as. You've got the chance to make improvements in your life, and know that there's nothing wrong with who you are; that's how I see insecure, purposeless people. Whatever those insecure people go through is their problem, and so long as they don't bring you down to their level, work on yourself. Once you appreciate your strengths, what makes you happy, and the things you enjoy doing, everything else falls into place. The result is complete confidence in yourself, especially not letting low vibrational people bring you down. Once you better know yourself, now comes the next part: knowing what your purpose in life is.
Finding your purpose in Life: prevents AI build-up overtime!
Necessities such as food, paying off bills and rent, chip away from our paychecks easily, leaving us with spare change for extras. Banks entice customers in signing up for credit cards, only to berate them when they have to pay it back. With that, it's no surprise why Millennials and Generation Zs can't afford a house, car, or anything that present badges of achievements. While there's a lot to be said about higher academic degrees, it's still something worth earning; however, the debt isn't worth it, let alone low quality teaching that's apparent today. (I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics: something I've been wanting to earn since rekindling my love for math back in 2009.) However, I've always been akin to self-learning—autodidacticism. For that, give this suggestion a try: read more books.
Books contain stories and information that you won't find elsewhere. Many counter-argue this suggestion with watching movies, but it's not the same experience. You want to read, interpret the words, and comprehend them. This helps expand your thinking, allowing for better cognitive interpretation, logical skills, improvement of vocabulary, and seeing another person's point of view—fictional or not. I guarantee that there's a book in which you can relate to. For those who read nonfiction, like I do, take this opportunity in exploring topics and subjects you always wanted to learn. Whether it's philosophy or memoirs, there's plenty of them out there; and you also can read books from authors you never heard of. I also suggest reading books whose beliefs, and viewpoints, are different from yours. Books shape your perception—in a good way—diving into someone else's world, how they see it, and so on. As you read more books, you develop a better sense of others, the world, and, yes, even yourself—your life, too. On top of that, it's fun, and, believe it or not, you'll live longer: reducing anxiety and depression, which are the top mental struggles today! You'll be doing a huge favor simply by reading books: better than "doomscrolling."
(Some of you are wondering, "what about someone who reads, but are still insecure about themselves?" Those people are ones who haven't learned from their self-hatred, worth, envy, etc. While I see books as a fun, healthy hobby, those kinds of people don't harness its benefits. It's similar to eating: they eat because they're hungry without care; they eat, but don't savor the flavors from their meal(s). In that case, if reading doesn't bring a positive change to these people, then besides behavioral therapy, nothing can help them at this point. Reading never helped them with their insecurity, as they have issues worse than cancer. They have no desire to create meaning in living nor to learn, which you know isn't the fault of anyone but them. I previously mentioned knowing people like this, as I've had fatigue for years because of it; yet, I'm considered a "disgusting person" focusing on me and pursuing my goals.)
In addition, take the chance to change your diet as well! All this effort wouldn't be complete without eating, and you, too, can take advantage making changes in what you eat. This area gets extremely controversial—like, should you (not) drink coffee?—and everyone's dietary standards are different. For that, I will say eat accordingly, make healthy choices, and never stay hungry; don't overconsume, either. One thing's for sure: stay away from seed oils and super-processed foods. There are dishes easy to cook/prepare, plus beverages, that provide enough energy without considering protein shakes, energy drinks, and the like. When it comes to preparing, throw away the microwave: radiation is not appetizing. (Funny, people get mad when someone, like me, don't recommend microwaves, yet it's okay to use Bluetooth headphones? This is a real, albeit hidden, issue plaguing our health without people knowing, and it's high-time we talk about it.) I wish food was like how it was in the olden days: fresh, simple, without all these processed sweets, snacks, frozen meals, and more—"food for thought," if you will.
It's Your Turn to Rule the World
As we age, our generation will gradually be ones to call the shots, contribute, build, and set standards. Again, I personally know folks, in their 30s and 40s, who still haven't figured themselves out. Of the people I've grown up with, less than 2% of them know how to lead; others have dependency issues. Some still cry wolf over something they can't control, while others don't have a care about their own lives. This means Generation Zs will interact with us, Millennials, in making decisions, choices, and planning progress for this world. There's a lot to think about, nuanced aplenty, but it all starts with ourselves.
Know where you need to be. Whether you like AI or not, it's here, changing our ways, and it'll rapidly get better. Repetitive, redundant jobs will be eliminated, and critical thinking will be the new societal standard—knowing things AI can't comprehend, solve, sense, create, etc. Our world will be a huge step above where we're at; however, many people will struggle adapting. Don't be one of those people: find yourself, gain knowledge, and it'll get better from here. Along with developing that confidence, you're able to hone and sharpen skills required to navigate our newly advanced living standards. As with reading books, you'll be well equipped for the world ahead: knowing situation(s) first-hand, handling conflicts, being a better listener, and developing excellent communication. Oh, and all that reading will help you think better and being emotionally grounded. Outwit the machines. What's there to be afraid of?
Whether it's your family, loved ones who passed, significant other, or faith, you have a reason for being here. Nevermind what others say as they'll put you down, but knowing your purpose helps you survive the vagaries AI will bring alongside its benefits. Again, many people will struggle adjusting to the Intelligent Age; some won't find it a problem. By the time adjustment is required, others will either fall behind, or it'll be too late: who knows what will happen to them? Don't let that uncertainty leave you worrying when you have the time to make changes: find yourself. Then, when it's your chance to take over the world, it'll be so much easier: you'll set examples, hopefully for the greater good. Finding your purpose will keep you so busy, you'll forget that we are co-existing with AI.
Consider this one, and possibly final, chance we have as sentient beings. Rest assured, this very chance will never show up ever again.
I'm Kris, and this is Food For The Saints.
UPDATE (05/17/2026): Edited and fixed misspellings, typos.
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