A Voice in the Wilderness: Purpose of Life

A Voice in the Wilderness

As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there's a twilight where everything remains seemingly unchanged, and it is in such twilight that we must be aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness. -- William O. Douglas

Friday, November 14, 2008

Purpose of Life - Leo Rosten

"I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all."

Leo Rosten

2 Comments:

At Fri Nov 14, 12:17:00 PM MST, Cara said...: Is it okay to do all that and be happy too? I have a saying on my office door (I work with disadvantaged young adults) that says:
"It destroys a person when looking good and feeling has replace being good and doing good."
At Fri Nov 14, 05:41:00 PM MST, The Voice said...: Well put Cara,

I think as Rosten describes it one cannot help but feel happy knowing the other goals are what matter most. Tennis great Andre Agassi once said of success, "Without the cake, icing sucks." I believe nothing worthwhile ever comes without some sort of sacrifice.

Thanks for the comment - I find your input refreshing and insightful.

J