Path to Purpose

"Bill Damon pioneered the science on purpose. He would say that purpose is doing something that is beyond the self, but also rewarding to self. That’s what’s so magical about it. Personally, my top level goal is to help people thrive. But I also find the process very gratifying and pleasurable. There is nothing I want to do more passionately than reading a new psychology article. In the book, Bill Damon talks about his own research as well as that of others. His research shows that only a minority of young people feel a sense of purpose. He studies both those who have a sense of purpose and those who don’t. His research focuses on where purpose comes from and how to share it. It’s a beautifully written book, and pretty short. When you read it, you feel like you are sitting across from someone who is not only a great scientist, but a wise soul. Path to Purpose radiates his warmth, his empathy and his wisdom on how to lead a good life. For that reason, it has had a big impact. All of the books that I recommended concern genetically-influenced attributes. At the same time, all these things are environmentally shaped. The practical take-home answer is yes, we’re born with different genes, but our role models—how we are raised, the quality of our educational experiences and whether we have access to sports and music— also influence how we turn out. So it’s not nature or nurture: it’s nature and nurture. Science teaches us that we disproportionately focus on things that are going wrong and we tend to slight what’s right. And studies also show that, in general, reinforcing the positive, and highlighting strengths, is more effective in remediating negative behavior then dwelling on what’s wrong. So, in general, positive reinforcement is the best way to deter negative behavior."