Undergraduate / "the purpose of life" - Brown University Supplements Essay Qns 3 [5]

French novelist Anatole France wrote: "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." What don't you know?

There is an old Chinese adage: Learning has no boundaries. Indeed, there are always things that we do not know or problems that we cannot solve, no matter how knowledgeable we are. We cannot possibly finish learning everything in this world. We have to choose what we want to know as well as what we should know.

Most importantly, I believe we have to understand the purpose of our lives. A life without purpose is like an expedition without a direction. The journey of life starts only when we found its purpose.

Everyone is destined to go through a process of enlightenment. Before we even come to this world, our parents already have great expectations on us. We are to become great minds that make huge contribution to the society. This expectation is gradually implanted in us as we aspire to be doctor, musician or scientist. When we reach adolescence, however, we begin to be influenced by the adult way of life. We realize the importance of money, its irreplaceable role in this world. The new crave for financial success changes our lives. We reposition our goals to be businessman, investment manager or anything that can make us rich. The harsh realities of this overly materialistic society force us to be as pragmatic as possible. There is simply no room to pursue our own interest.

However, should financial success really be a moral imperative? At the age of 20, I began to question myself. Our purpose in life is not to fulfill a set mundane of routine. It is not about studying diligently, working hard, earning lots of money, getting married with a beautiful wife, having lovely kids, buying a sports car, staying in a grandiose mansion or having dinner at an acoustic French restaurant every weekend. It should not be so deliberate and simple.

So should we fall back to our childhood ambition? Should we aim to become someone who aspires to save the world, someone who makes a difference in people's lives and improve the society or someone who will leave an everlasting mark in history like Newton, Mozart etc? Are these glorious and noble ambitions really the purpose of our lives? If that is the case, what about those who sweep the streets and clear our garbage every morning? Are they failures in life? Why must we think that an ordinary kind life is of lesser worth?

So what exactly is the purpose of life? To answer this question, we need to rethink about what we really want to do with our lives, who we want to be with and how to we measure worth. Until now, I am not sure about mine as I continue to gain greater understanding about myself and the world around me. This takes time as edification does not come at an instant. But I hope that through learning and other form of exposure, I can soon discover the purpose of my life.

erm I'm not sure if this essay is up to standard. Any suggestions on how to improve it?