Is searching for purpose an inherent human trait? These experts say yes.

It seems that this concept of purpose is

uniquely human. This idea of having an

answer to the why of what [music] we do.

All of us have stories running around in

our brains [music] about why we do what

we do. A lot of times when I'm teaching

a class full of MBAs or a class full of

executives, [music] they're all sitting

and that would be a truthful answer. But

they also could say I'm learning. That

implies that I'm listening to what

you're saying, but I'm also comparing it

to [music] what I used to believe and

then I'm deciding if I need to do any

updating on what I believe. Each one of

these is just a different purpose. They

all have the opportunity to be a true

story in our brain. But we as humans

[music] have the ability to shift that

focus. When we think of the why of the

work, meaning what [music] is the

impact, the final result of this on the

world, it really makes our stamina

higher, makes us much more resilient to

[music] difficulties in accomplishing

that effect.

>> Philosophy is immensely important. The

search for the large ideas about [music]

truth, knowledge, beauty, justice is a

terribly important thing. [music]

Philosophy is a synthetic discipline

primarily. It's something that draws

from lots of different areas and draws

from life as it exists at a particular

moment in time. Philosophers are in the

business of trying to give us that

general picture of ourselves [music] and

our place in the world and the kinds of

lives that we live that will enable us

to take the next steps in improving

things for ourselves.

The overarching purpose or direction for

mankind as a whole [music] is very well

expressed in the definition of humanity

that Pierre Tylard desan provided.

[music] He was a Jesuit priest who lived

in China for a long time and was a kind

of an anthropologist. [music]

His definition of humanity was evolution

become conscious of [music] itself.

It's a very powerful point of view if

you think about it. We [music] are life

become conscious and therefore become

able [music] to understand what we're

doing to set goals

and that is possibly unique in the

universe.