I’ve come to recognize Richard Feynman as one of the Masters of Living. I’ve got a number of posts to write before I can fully explain why I think this, but here’s a snippet.
I came across this video on YouTube of Feynman talking about knowledge and purpose:
“I’m just trying to find out more about the world…..I don’t feel frightened by not knowing things,by feeling lost in the mysteious universe without having any purpose. Which is the way it really is as far as I can tell possibly. It doesn’t frighten me.”
The paradox tickles me. Feynman’s life has proven that one can be full of purpose, and at the same time, recognize that there may be no purpose at all.
Feynman’s lifelong motivator was absolutely unrelenting curiosity. His purpose was simply finding out more about the world. There was no need for an external purpose to be bestowed upon him by the universe–his purpose was created internally, driven by his passions.
-Kevin
11.23.2011
