Book by Patrick Hill and Anthony Burrow provides insights on purpose from the past and today

What is your purpose? It’s a question that you may have asked yourself before, perhaps using it as a compass for your life’s direction. PSiX Director Anthony Burrow and PSiX Lab of Labs Director Patrick Hill study purpose, a central, self-organizing life aim which influences one’s goals, behaviors, and sense of meaning. Studies show that purpose can positively impact one’s health, wellbeing and personal development.

People have theorized about purpose since the time of ancient Greeks and Romans, providing the basis for purpose research today, with Burrow and Hill at the forefront. They have published a new book, “Purpose in Life as Ancient but Nascent” (Cambridge University Press). In the book, Burrow, Hill, and other scholars touch on purpose from various disciplines to help guide the reader in their journey to cultivate their own purpose.

PSiX talked with Burrow and Hill about the book.

Question: Why did you feel compelled to bring together this collection of perspectives on purpose?

Hill: Purpose is something that has sparked the interest of so many people both within and outside of academia. However, those different groups do not often connect, which may hinder new discoveries and opportunities. We wanted to create this book as a space where different voices could “talk together.” Absent these diverse voices, recommendations and policies around purpose may be missing the context of different environments and lived experiences.

Burrow: The topic of purpose is enjoying resurgent interest from academic researchers, educators, business leaders, youth-organization directors, and beyond. Yet, this interest is often met with insights that draw from isolated disciplines, so those new to the topic get exposed to just a narrow slice of perspectives. We wanted to showcase the inherent complexity of this topic by inviting a broader range of perspectives on purpose. Readers may appreciate some of the places where bridging these perspectives is simple and straightforward; they may also appreciate the stubborn differences across others.

Question: The book title frames purpose as both ancient wisdom and emerging science. Is there tension between the two that creates opportunities or challenges to studying and communicating about purpose?

Hill: I think one of the biggest challenges — and opportunities — for purpose comes from the critical need to consider both the work that has been done, as well as the important new perspectives and studies. We are blessed to build purpose research from the remarkably deep and thoughtful work produced by past researchers, as well as the new measures and methods being developed by the “new guard.” Our book title reflects this challenge in that the richest work on purpose will only come if we both recognize that past work as well as embrace the more nascent literature on purpose.

Burrow: Developing this volume helped me see that this tension is more productive than problematic. It is worth appreciating just how long people have wondered about the topic of purpose in life — it’s been a longstanding curiosity throughout history. Researchers interested in purpose may be motivated less by discovering something entirely new than by the chance to connect their questions to a much wider tapestry of questions about the human experience than is possible with other topics.

Question: If you could highlight an insight or idea from the book that challenges conventional thinking about purpose, what would it be and why does it matter for how people live their lives?

Burrow: In Chapter 7, Kaylin Ratner from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, makes key points on the role of universities in helping (or hindering) purpose development among students. She reminds readers that purpose development is not merely an individual quest but is instead always moored by available environmental supports — or their absence. She further discusses important pitfalls of failing to support student purpose development, which is a perspective we must confront honestly.

Another insight comes from Chapter 3, which I worked on with Marissa Rice from Cornell University. It challenges a widely held assumption that purpose is something to be found. While “finding purpose” is perhaps an understandable phrase, it lacks empirical basis on how purpose is acquired. Instead, we consider how purpose might be “activated,” “cultivated,” or “facilitated,” a shift that moves people from passively waiting to discover their purpose to deliberately building it by engaging with the world around them. This reframing also invites institutions and communities to thoughtfully design opportunities or spaces for us to explore or experiment, which makes purpose acquisition possible.

Hill: Dr. Burrow and I all too frequently have our work characterized as “happiness” or “wellbeing” by the public or press. While purposeful living aligns with and promotes personal wellbeing, I think this volume really highlights how much purpose is more than and unique from these constructs. Chapter 12 considers whether and how purpose fits in theories of wellbeing and — spoiler alert — the answer is not clear. This insight spreads through the other chapters of the work, where people point to how purpose must be considered in the context of one’s identity and their environmental context. In so doing, I hope this work challenges the impression that purpose equates to happiness or related ideas.

Question: Beyond those already engaged with purpose academically, who do you hope reads this book? How could it shift how they think about their own sense of purpose?

Burrow: I believe this book is for anyone. But if nudged to pick a specific audience, it would be those individuals who are best positioned to help others think about, understand, and even develop a sense of purpose. I think the book is best thought of as a collection of actionable insights for those who can create the conditions for others to lead lives of purpose. 

Hill: I too hope anyone gets something from this work, but I particularly hope that teachers and professors get a chance to read through this volume. These groups are perhaps best positioned to directly impact those individuals just starting the purpose development process. I hope our book helps these groups recognize the importance of helping students to cultivate purpose, as well as provides insights into how that “help” will necessarily take different forms — whether providing opportunities for reflection, critical conversations, or even rest and personal space.

Question: What questions about purpose are you still sitting with after editing this book?

Hill: One of the biggest questions about purpose for me is, how do we keep these conversations going? I hope this book sparks connections between the authors and the readers, as well as among the authors themselves. I hope that each author views it as a starting point rather than the finish line. As editors, I see it as our duty to really push those conversations forward through initiatives like PSiX so we continue providing a voice for our authors and opportunities for these conversations to progress in the years ahead.

Burrow: I want to further understand when hardship catalyzes purpose versus when it extinguishes it. As societies seem increasingly complex, discovering more about this seems vital, as does ensuring that the findings are effectively translated to people and communities who are best positioned to put them to good use.