We often meet different people and feel that we are different from them, but we can’t tell where the difference is. Often, we conclude that we have different values.
But today I saw a picture shared in Happy Letter that lists three orientations of life outlook:
| Happy Life | Meaningful Life | Spiritually Rich Life | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keywords | Comfortable, enjoyable, safe | Significant, purposeful, persistent | Diverse, interest-driven, changing perspectives |
| Elements | Money, time, relationships, positive attitude | Moral standards, consistency, relationships, beliefs | Curiosity, time, energy, spontaneity |
| Results | Personal satisfaction | Social contribution | Wisdom |
| Indicators | Life satisfaction, positive emotions | Meaning of life, objective meaning | A spiritually rich life and experience |
This is part of a social science research report. One of the benefits of scientific research is that it can help us define fuzzy problems clearly. Just like dividing life outlook into three types, it is easy for people to understand and find their place.
Although humans are complex, there are very few people who belong 100% to one of them. However, by treating these three orientations as three vectors, it can help us realize which direction of our own and others’ life outlook is more and which is less.
My main orientation is spiritual richness. Interest has always been the main driving force of my work, and I also like diversity (because interest itself is changeable), so as a programmer, most of my friends are not programmers, or even not practitioners in the Internet industry. Communicating with them greatly satisfies my curiosity for diversity.
At the same time, I also have a part of the pursuit of a meaningful life, which is why there is a special Corporate Social Responsibility item on my company’s website. Although I just registered at the end of last year, I hope this is a company that values social responsibility, not just to get more income.
The pursuit of happiness is also a part of me. After all, it is human nature to pursue comfort, enjoyment and safety when conditions permit. And according to my experience, this is especially useful when taking care of elders. Although the elders say they want to save money, their bodies are very honest about better products or services. (Especially when taking elders to travel to unfamiliar places.)
Finally, I would like to remind you that, just like various personality analysis tools, it is not enough to represent a person’s life outlook with only three vectors. Moreover, with the growth of life experience and the changes in reality, life outlook will also change continuously. So there is no need to deliberately frame yourself in a certain concept. For how to live this life, you are always the best teacher for yourself, and society is the best school.
What is your life outlook orientation?
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My Translation Notes
- I tried to keep the translation as close to the original text as possible while still being idiomatic in English.
- I explained some of the Chinese concepts in more detail for English readers.
- I added some links to additional resources.
I hope this translation is helpful!