causal

Meaningfulness Requires No Instrumental Purpose

Humans require a sense of belonging and purpose, and there is a teleology in living beings, but the meaningfulness of life comes precisely from not having an explicit instrumental purpose—it exists not 'in order that' something else happen; satisfaction comes from letting go, not from controlling or indulging in pleasure, and happiness famously runs away when pursued and arrives only when we forget ourselves.

causalpending

Speaker

Iain McGilchrist

Evidence Quote

our satisfaction comes from letting go--not controlling, not thinking we know it all and being imprisoned in our little egos

Source

Iain McGilchrist on the Divided Brain and the Master and His EmissaryEconTalk
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:15:28 AM

My Notes

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