Noble vs. Ignoble Pursuits of Purpose Are Not Equal
Today is a short riff on noble vs. ignoble pursuits of purpose. My inspiration comes from research psychologist William Damon’s take on the subject in his book The Path to Purpose. Damon’s explanation of noble vs. ignoble purposes is an important reminder that all pursuits of purpose are not equal.
On pursuing an ignoble purpose Damon writes:
…[“ignoble”] purposes may have strongly motivating effects for a period of time, but they eventually burn out, either slowly in growing doubt and uncertainty, or suddenly in self-destructive activity…We are programed to experience “moral disgust” –not immediately and not with regularity, but eventually and unavoidably –when we behave inhumanely and act in a manner inconsistent with our core moral standards.
On pursuing a noble purpose Damon writes:
Only positive, pro-social purpose can provide lasting inspiration, motivation, and resilience that is characteristic of a truly purposeful life…
…Noble purposes promote the well-being of others; they are pursued through means that conform to moral standards such as honesty and respect; and they are accomplished in a spirit of a reasonable humility rather than self-aggrandizement.
With that said, the pursuit of money, status, fame, and beauty are all technically not “evil” in itself, but more often than not are ignoble. As such, these types of pursuits don’t provide lasting inspiration, motivation, and resilience.
This is often why some people who appear purposeful on the outside looking in, are still unhappy. Conversely, this is also why others who don’t have money, status, fame or beauty are happy despite this.