I've been thinking a lot recently about my own goals, mostly because we've been reading Habits of the Heart, and I desperately do not want to identify with any of the characters in the first chapter of the book. Every time I would read one and see a bit of myself in them, Bellah et al. would go on to talk about why the person wasn't fully realizing what they want in life, and are short sighted about their goals. I certainly don't want to be that way, and have been thinking about whether or not my goals and views are actually individualistic or whether I'm actually trying to be part of a larger community.
Maybe this isn't the best argument, but I've spent a lot of time talking with people close to me about the meaning of life (because we're liberal arts students, are what else are we going to do), and I think one of the conclusions that I've come to is that one of the meanings is to influence those around you in positive ways, and generally speaking help move the human race in a positive direction. This is a pretty general idea, as most "meaning of life" comments are, but I've narrowed it down a bit more - I particularly like creating art, in the form of writing or performing or what-have-you, and I know my life has been severely influenced by other works of art: different books and films and music, and I think that one of my goals is to do something similar - to create something that resonates with someone else out there, and will change their life. It's individualistic as well, but only in a certain way: yes, I'm doing it because of my own need to creatively express myself, which is inherently individualistic, but I'm also doing it because I want to give back to a society that has given me so much, and add into the pantheon of great works that have influenced and changed the world. I guess that's sort of a high goal, but that's something I've been thinking about when the topic of success comes up, and what you want to get out of your life. I guess I do want happiness, but more than that I want to gain knowledge and understanding, and I think a way of doing that is by creating art that expresses your experience and understanding to a wider public. But then again, I'm a 21 year old liberal arts student, and it's pretty easy to say all of these things now with a pretty solid meal plan.
I also read Bellah and think about how I compare to the characters. The way I think about this is that I cannot break out of my culture, and so I definitely am an example of what he is talking about.. and that makes me uncomfortable. But he is also saying that Americans have deeper lives and commitments than our philosophy allows us to acknowledge. So he is seeking a language for talking about the kinds of commitments he sees in people. I am curious to know more about your writing goals.. but maybe another blog post..
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