Burning Bright

"No individual has any right to come into this world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it."

In the last couple of weeks I've come dangerously close to deciding that I knew what I believed. Upon further examination, what I wanted was to believe that I had acceptable answers to the following questions - Why am I here? What should I strive for? How should I prioritize my time and resources? What kinds of risks should I take, and why?

It occurred to me to wonder how humanism deals with these questions. And so I began a more systematic application of the google-fu...

Humanist Manifesto I (1933)

• "...the complete realization of human personality to be the end of man's life and seeks its development and fulfillment in the here and now."
• "...aim to foster the creative in man and to encourage achievements that add to the satisfactions of life."
• "...seek to elicit the possibilities of life, not flee from them"

Humanist Manifesto II (1973)

• "The ultimate goal should be the fulfillment of the potential for growth in each human personality..."
• "...will tap the creativity of each human being and provide the vision and courage for us to work together."
• "Man is at last becoming aware that he alone is responsible for the realization of the world of his dreams, that he has within himself the power for its achievement. He must set intelligence and will to the task."

Humanist Manifesto III (2003)

• "We welcome the challenges of the future, and are drawn to and undaunted by the yet to be known."
• "We aim for our fullest possible development..."

I've cherry-picked some quotes that seem to illustrate an accepted goal or purpose that humanists can agree on - self-actualization, and the realization of an environment that supports the same opportunity for growth in all human beings. I've stated elsewhere that I believe that the purpose of life is to learn and grow, individually and collectively, so I'm pleased that this is an objective that humanists support so strongly.

What is perhaps less clear is where my responsibility to my own self-actualization should step aside in favor of efforts to help others achieve the same. Herein arises a division of thought that is fundamental, and for which there appears to be no objective resolution. Here is where we are called upon to examine our beliefs about the nature and value of compassion, the relationship of self to other, and the health and well-being of the collective weighed against the health and well-being of the individual.

Is it in my enlightened self-interest to route a portion of my time and resources towards bringing others closer to self-actualization? And if so, how big of a portion?

Who burns brightest - he who fuels others, or he who fuels himself?