Where does our sense of purpose come from?
Is it written in the stars, preordained and waiting to be uncovered, or is it something we build as we engage with life?
Many of us have been taught that purpose is something assigned — that we are like finished products rolling off a divine conveyor belt, each stamped with a predetermined function by a celestial manufacturer.
In this view, without belief in God, one is left wandering in existential darkness, unable to find their “true purpose.” But what if this narrative is not only misleading but also disempowering?
Before diving deeper, let’s define purpose, because understanding this concept clearly will shape how we think about everything else.
To psychologists, purpose is “an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on the world.”
I define purpose as the intentional pursuit of value and meaning that brings deep satisfaction to the individual and contributes to the common good.
If you compare both definitions, you’ll notice three shared elements: intention, meaning, and contribution.
And our main focus here is on intention.
Where Does Intention Come From?
Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre famously declared, “Existence precedes essence.”
What does this mean?
Imagine a craftsman making a paper knife. Before it exists, the craftsman already knows what it will be used for — its essence, its purpose. In this case, essence precedes existence.
But Sartre argued that humans are fundamentally different. We are not made with a predetermined essence.
We simply appear , and then we must decide what we will become. As Sartre put it, “Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world—and defines himself afterwards.”
The notion that we are predesigned mechanisms with cosmic job descriptions leads to confusion and passivity.
Think of it like being handed a blank canvas versus a paint-by-number kit.
The assigned purpose model gives you the paint-by-number: “Fill section 1 with blue, section 2 with red.”
The discovered purpose model gives you the blank canvas and says, “Here are the paints — what will you create?”
The Stoic and Existential View
Centuries before Sartre, the ancient Stoics intuited something profound. Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditations:
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
The Stoics didn’t wait for gods to assign them purpose; they recognized that purpose emerges from the choices we make in response to life’s circumstances.
Epictetus, born a slave, didn’t need zeus to tell him his purpose, he discovered it through philosophical inquiry and teaching.
Aristotle propose that the highest good is eudaimonia. Often translated as “Flourishing” or “the good life”. But this is what is important: Aristotle didn’t believe this was assigned by the gods. Instead, he argued it comes from cultivating virtues and exercising reason, and these are fundamentally human activities.
He wrote “Happiness depends upon ourselves”, Not upon divine assignment, but upon our won development and choices.
The Source of Intentionality: Consciousness Itself
Purpose requires intention, and intention arises from consciousness — from our capacity to be self-aware.
Unlike other species, we can reflect, evaluate, and choose. We don’t just experience life; we interpret it.
Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, founder of logotherapy, expressed this beautifully in Man’s Search for Meaning:
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Frankl observed people in concentration camps stripped of everything, yet some still found meaning — through love, through work, through their response to suffering.
Meaning, and therefore purpose, isn’t assigned from outside; it is created through our engagement with life.
Modern neuroscience supports this. Our brains are prediction machines, constantly modeling the world and our place in it. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning and intention, is far more developed in humans than in any other species.
As neuroscientist Antonio Damasio explains, consciousness creates a sense of a “self” that persists through time — and it is this continuity of self that makes purposeful living possible, without any need for divine assignment.
The Problems with the Assigned Purpose Model
1. It Infantilizes
If your purpose is assigned, you are not a mature agent but an obedient child following instructions.
Philosopher Immanuel Kant defined enlightenment as “the courage to use your own understanding.”
An assigned purpose requires surrendering that understanding — abandoning your autonomy.
It’s like being stuck in a job where you’re constantly told what to do, with no room for creativity or initiative. The assigner holds absolute power over your destiny. What could be more frustrating?
2. It Creates Existential Fragility
What happens when you lose faith in the assigner?
If your sense of purpose is tied to belief in a particular god or doctrine, losing that belief can trigger an existential crisis.
The assigned purpose model treats humans like employees serving a cosmic boss. Your entire identity and self-worth hinge on your “job” and your faith in this employer. If you resign or are fired — you’re lost.
In contrast, the discovered purpose model views you as an entrepreneur. Your life is your startup. You choose what to build, refine your vision, adapt as you grow, and evolve with experience. Isn’t this empowering?
3. It Contradicts Reality and Human Experience
We see people discovering and pursuing purpose everywhere — regardless of religion or belief.
A scientist searching for a cure, an artist creating beauty, a teacher nurturing young minds, a parent raising children, these pursuits are meaningful because they are chosen, not because they were assigned.
Two doctors may share the same career: one believes it was divinely assigned, the other chose it freely because it aligns with personal values, strengths, and interests.
Both lives can be equally purposeful, not because of the source of their calling, but because of the intention behind it.
Purpose isn’t about completing a divine task; it’s about engaging consciously and meaningfully with life itself.
The Freedom to Create Meaning
The belief that purpose must be assigned by God is not only unnecessary; it’s limiting.
It assumes we’re incapable of generating meaning on our own, that our choices require cosmic validation to matter.
But the truth is far more empowering:
You are a conscious being with the capacity for intention.
You can reflect on what matters, choose your commitments, and create value through your actions.
As philosopher Daniel Dennett wrote, “The secret of happiness is to find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it.”
Notice he said find and dedicate — both active verbs, both deliberate choices.
Your purpose isn’t hidden in the cosmos waiting to be revealed.
It is forged as you engage with life, through the values you live by, the contributions you make, and the meaning you create in the world.
What are your thoughts?
Do you see purpose as something assigned or something discovered?
Share your reflections and questions in the comments. I’d love to hear your perspective.