Mankind's Purpose

Each of the questions “what does it mean to be human, to be man, to be a woman and an artist” are extremely deep questions by themselves.  To be human, at its most basic level, is to create.  Mankind has the unique ability to link minds with each other in a way that no other species in the universe (or so we are aware of) can.  What truly makes mankind as a species unique is this ability to share knowledge with one another.  

The ability to create has given us the ability to craft and enjoy art.  To be an artist is to embrace this side of our humanity.  Art embraces our creative and philosophical sides.  In The Creative Impulse, it’s explained that “our insistence on cognitive knowing may have already robbed us of some of our capacity for being human.”  In saying this, it’s inferred that our insistence on understanding the facts of the universe has partially driven away the creativity that fosters our creation of art.  While an interesting point, the pursuit of knowledge has only further fostered the sense of identity that we have as a species as we glance further and further into the mysteries of the universe.

The ability to collaborate with others has allowed for specialization as an individual, which has lead to innovation as a species.  It has been our ability to link minds that has allowed for us to wire our world such that 80% of us have electricity, and can communicate with someone on the other side of the world in an instant.  

The differences between men and women are obvious.  I don’t think that it’s necessary to explain the biological and evolutionary differences between the two sexes.  Being a man and being a woman, similarly, means that we live up to our duties as a mother, a father, a husband, a wife or a provider.  The idea of manhood, to me at least, means living with a high sense of honor and duty to ensure that those whom we most deeply cherish are well provided and cared for.   A similar definition of womanhood can be provided.  

Ultimately, both of these ideas of manhood and womanhood are connected by the idea of living with a purpose.  One of my role models is Hyman Rickover, perhaps the greatest engineer who ever lived.  He wrote that the purpose of each human is:

“To seek and accept responsibility; to persevere; to be committed to excellence; to be creative and courageous; to be unrelenting in the pursuit of intellectual development; to maintain high standards of ethics and morality; and to bring these basic principles of existence to bear through active participation in life - these are some of my ideas on the goals that must be met to achieve meaning and purpose in life.”

Achieving a full sense of humanity means living in such a way that uses our ability to work and communicate with others in such a way that humanity and the environment are most benefited.  Being a good father or mother, maintaining a connection to your community, and living with a strong ethical code are central facets of this idea of living with purpose.  By living with purpose, we are regaining part of what it means to live life as a human.