What are people looking for? Well, people are searching for endless things in life. Some do it consciously. So, others (or most) do it unconsciously. However, what matters is: what are you searching for in life?
Instead of asking, “what people are looking for?” You should ask, “What am I looking for in life?”
I guess that would be more relevant. Because we’re also part of people, and it’s good if we know what we are looking for, right?
On the surface, things people want in life could look different. Yet, if we reflect inside, they could have a single meaning. Actually, throughout our lifetime, no matter how small or long we have, we’re behind two things: mostly and rarely.
But, we’re so involved in life with so many things that we don’t realise what we are actually doing it for.
We just keep doing random things, and one day a wind blows, and snap, that’s it; game over. We never know why we were here. Why we did what we did. And would we ever want to do what we did? Or was it all on blind autopilot?
Feeling confused? Don’t worry, because if you’re reading this, it means there’s still time.
Through this post, I will share what people are looking for mostly, rarely and what you can look for in your life. And perhaps while doing that, I might also get a new view of what I am looking for in my life.
So, if you’re ready to find out what you’re looking for in life, then let’s move to the more serious part of this conversation.
What Are People Looking for? (Mostly)
When Alexander wanted to conquer the entire world, what was he looking for? He wanted to defeat each and everyone who would have come between his ambition to rule every continent, even though he may or may not know about the new world.
But what was he looking for by being the king of all kings? By being superior to all, what was he wanted to prove?
A man can sleep peacefully on the bench of a garden, but why does he always behind big mansions with no sleep all night? Why does he need respect and recognition in society? Why does he love being celebrated and hate being criticised?
More is always less for us, and we’re always running as if something might go out of our hands, even though nothing is in our control.
A luxury car, beautiful girlfriend, pool in the house, status in society, money in the bank, that’s all we all crave for. But why?
Why are we always searching for things that look good and give us a sense of fulfilment? “Why should we try to be our best,” as Jonathan D Larson, in his masterpiece tick, tick … BOOM! asks, “when we can just get by and still gain?”
Why? Because all those shining antique separates us from the ordinary. It helps us see ourselves matter and exist in the world than only venturing.
They help us place ourselves above the bottom line of society—the poor ones.
And when we want to be above something, we’re searching for superiority; we’re searching for more.
How to beat your neighbour? By having more than he has. How to attract someone? By having a superb physique. How to outnumber your enemy? By having more clients or people in the army. How to be better? By having more and more and more and more…
And who needs more? The enemy you think is your friend—the one and only, the phenomenal crusher of all the souls, EGO.
Yes, it’s EGO that feeds on More, and it’s what people are looking for most in their life.
You can’t lose an argument because your Ego tells you to win. You can’t settle for less because your Ego has no place for that, even if it has ample space for different things. You can’t know what life is really about and your purpose to live, because your Ego has some other meaning for it.
It’s the Ego of telling yourself that you don’t have any ego. Or of what you’d be egoistic about.
Growth, experience, desire, belief, emotions, ethics, support, and choice are just labels, so we don’t feel bad about ourselves. Otherwise, all these are traits of the Ego and what we are searching for in our lives most of the time.
This is it. This is what people are looking for in their life. And perhaps you’re too.
Look inside, and ask yourself honestly, “what am I searching for?” And see what you’d find there for whatever you’re aspiring to.
Whether you’re searching for someone or some things, if you’ll be honest with yourself, you’d know.
And while doing introspection, if you find that it’s not Ego you’re behind, then probably it’s what people are looking for rarely. Something much better than Ego, and yet still, it’s not part of being egoistic.
Because that’s what it is: rare.
What Are People Looking for? (Rarely)
When you look at kids happily playing in the garden with nice parents, what do you see there? When you look at monks praying in the monastery, what do you sense at that moment? While hanging around the park or in nature, have you ever noticed how you felt there?
Well, for many, it’s like we’re free. When we look at the kids playing in the garden smiling, we say to ourselves: how free they are, how innocent they are, free from all the worries and chaotic things of the world.
The same happens when we see monks, saints, or any other spiritual person.
We compare ourselves to them and find that we’re full of responsibilities and they’re not. They’re free from all the worries and jobs. They don’t need luxury; they don’t need status; they are beyond that and still happy.
And that’s what people mostly look for in their life, but notice it rarely.
We are searching for freedom in whatever we do in life, but realise it rarely. And our ignorance takes us to the doors of the Ego, and we take refuge there.
When people are searching for the meaning of life, they’re searching for freedom from all questions they have in mind.
When people say that they need happiness, actually, they’re not behind being happy. Instead, they’re behind freedom. Freedom from worries so they can sleep peacefully at night. Freedom from disease so they can live better. And freedom from financial issues so they can freely provide for their loved ones.
It’s freedom, freedom and freedom all the time. But only a handful of people realise it, and that’s why it’s rare that people are looking for, even though it’s the most.
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What Can You Look for in Your Life?
For a household being, becoming free like monks isn’t possible. And by freedom, it doesn’t mean that you have to forsake all your responsibilities.
Instead, becoming free means you fulfil your responsibilities, and it doesn’t even feel like you’re taking any responsibility. You’re doing whatever you’re doing just for the sake of doing it. Not because of any obligation or seeking any result.
However, in times like this, where Ego is seen everywhere and is appreciated by everyone, it’s much, much harder to look for freedom. Become free.
So what can you do? How do you live a life of purpose? Although, searching for purpose isn’t a much-advocating path because ultimately our purpose is to find freedom.
“Just as a water source flowing freely falls into a pit and takes the form of a whirlpool,” as Swami Vivekanand explains in his book Karma Yoga, “and after spinning in that whirlpool for some time, it comes out again as a free source and it emerges freely. In the same way, the human life is.”
We are all the source of the universe. Flowing from here to there and falling into this world makes us a part of the whirlpool.
Even so, having a purpose in life guides us in a particular direction that’s better than being a vagabond. So, what can you look for in your life? The simplest answer is to find balance in whatever you do or get. Perhaps, we can’t be completely free but we can be free from Ego.
Because once we’re free from it, what’s left next? The rare thing—freedom.
So, whenever you do something, out of any cause, ask yourself, “is it free from the Ego?” And if the answer is Yes, don’t hesitate to do it.
And when I say something, I don’t mean that you treat everything like that. Instead, things that make you think.
Or pause you for a moment.
Balance is universal, and it’s the greatest and simplest method that can help you reach your final destination by becoming free from all the responsibilities; from all the worries; from all the sacrifices and from all the interests.
But doesn’t balancing mean we have a pinch of bad and good stuff together?
Yes, it is, but we’re already in a world that’s overwhelmed by Ego. So, by choosing not to get more Ego in our work, purpose or life, I 100% believe we’re deciding of balance. We’re deciding about half of freedom and half of Ego.
“Cages or wings, which do you prefer? Ask the bird,” as the song by Johny continues.
I guess the cage is the Ego and the wings are freedom. Now, it’s up to you what you choose. So, what is everyone looking for? Does anybody know what we are looking for in life? I think you know who does.
Thank you so much for your time and for reading this post on “What are people looking for?”
I hope that what I have shared here allows you to see your life from a new perspective and gives you a purpose to live it better. That’s all I wanted to do.
And yes, while writing this, I, too, found a new perspective, which is… well, there’s much, and I have to decide what I want to keep and what I don’t. But one thing’s clear; we have to be more empathic about the world and people.
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Thanks again,
Nathawat Brothers
Putting thoughts for everyone.
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