First of all, I believe our purpose is initially unknown, but not only unknown, but also unformed( hence "unknown"). I view purpose as to WHAT we do and also WHY we do WHAT we do. Our purpose, per my definition of "purpose" (in a philosophical context) is defined indefinitely throughout time. Depending on what we do, our actions, we add definition to a purpose. If we hit a baseball into our neighbor's yard as a way of saying, "Blow it out your ass Mr. Scott" (*coughpoliticalmessagecough*) then, we have added to the definition of the purpose of our existence being to blast a ball through Mr. Scott's home. However, we also added the definition of WHY we did that, to send a grandmotherly message to someone. Through this definition, what one's definitions are to their purpose cannot be taken away as you have still committed that act, even if one was to go back in time as that would now be a different person with a different purpose, not the same person. Through this definition as well is the seemingly infinite factors of purpose. Another aspect of my view is that our emotions towards events, our thoughts are actions as well. If we spent the majority of our existence being happy while we underwent hardcore drug intakes, then, as much of a monster I sound like saying this, our purpose has been being happy for a majority of our existence. Another facet is that if we thought of ourselves as the coolest thing while doing such intakes, then a part of our purpose would also be being cool as this is relative to OUR purpose. Simply because dictates you as uncool undergoing that, that would be their take on your purpose, not something a part of your purpose. YOU define your purpose. Now, what if looking back on the majority if your existence and dictate you weren't cool? Well, that is your thought on a part of your purpose already defined, a thought also added to your purpose. This may also be applied to non-cognitive objects like a rock. If it falls on a man's head and crushes his skull, it has added definition to purpose. We may view it as tragic, but those are OUR thoughts, not the rock's. Objects themselves may have a purpose. One may view that because they exist longer than another, they therefore have a more defined purpose. This is not so, rather you had more time to define purpose. Purposes gave different degrees of purpose, but degrees not measured in numerical character that can be determined as more than another. Different degrees in the sense of a desert compared to an ocean in climate, not 1 vs. 2. However, there is one inherent purpose, existence. If we are a life, then we have living added to that definition. Life is a state of existence.
Through this definition of purpose, I reach my thoughts on potential. This is both a pessimistic and optimistic view of our existence. I believe, no matter our action we give 100% regardless. This is because we perform what was given to us as potentially optimal as was capable due to the all the factors of our existence leading up to this point. We cannot go back in time and redo it as we have now added more factors to influence optimal potential. If we earn a 20%, this is the best we could have done while another who earns 80% has done the best they could do. No better, no worse. If we could have done better, we would have, and if we could have done worse, we would have. One may interpret this as determinism, but that would be a strawman. I am not stating these factors inevitably determine our ability, but with these factors we do the best we can. This is the quintessential philosophy I follow as I go through my life. It provides me comfort knowing my existential experience.
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