Joy is the purpose of life

The purpose of life is to gain joy. At its root, everything we do is to maximize joy. It is inescapable. Joy is the sensation of value. Value is, by definition, what we want. We seek what we want, which is what we value. Thus, we seek to maximize joy. All human choice is to that end.

That the purpose of life is to gain joy isn’t a new idea, even if it was never explained very well. Anciently, Aristotle said: “Happiness¹ is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”

With sufficient joy, anything in life can be worthwhile. Without sufficient joy, nothing in life is worthwhile. Joy is the greatest potential benefit, and with enough of it, any cost can be worthwhile. In fact, fundamentally, all benefit is either joy or something expected to lead to it, and we value it in accordance with how much joy we expect to receive through it.

To fulfill your purpose in life, you need to maximize the joy you encounter. You will never do this unless you intentionally seek to do so.