To a large degree you can determine the manner in which the world manifests itself to you by changing your aim. And that opens up… the entire domain of philosophy. What good is philosophy? People think that all the time.

“What good is philosophy?” Hey, philosophy is about value. “Well, what use is value?” Value determines your aim. “Well, who cares what your aim is?” Your aim determines the manner in which the world lays itself out to you emotionally. “Well, who cares about that?!”

No one says that. The argument stops there. Because no one, especially no one who’s been seriously hurt or seriously depressed, like in pain, no one ever says “oh well who cares about that”. If you can say that about your pain all that means is you actually haven’t been in pain.

And you know… if what you’re aiming at is producing nothing but unrequited misery for you and everyone else, and it’s a downhill bloody spiral into something approximating hell then there is some possibility that you should think that perhaps your aim is off.

If things aren’t laying themselves out in front of you the way that is necessary for you to live a full and engaging life, and not be cynical and bitter and twisted and cruel and vengeful and disappointed and all of that, it’s just possible that you’re not aiming at the right thing.

And that is a question worth asking. Well, it’s a question people do ask, it’s like “well, what’s the purpose of life?” That’s the same question. “What should I aim at?” That’s the same question.

Adaptation from “Our Emotions and the Social Hierarchy - Part Two”, a podcast by Jordan B. Peterson