The Search for Purpose

Simran Sareen | March 1, 2026

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The universe is a spectacular phenomenon. It ignited roughly 13.8 billion years ago, setting the very concept of time into motion. Our own Earth followed much later, forming about 4.5 billion years ago. When you zoom out, where exactly are we?

To an observer from another galaxy, we are just a newly evolved species of intelligent beings - trying to navigate our existence on a pale blue dot, co-existing with nature.

Amidst all this cosmic scale, we can ask ourselves, as many of you probably have: What purpose are we born with? What are we here for? I ask myself this most days.

We are merely a tiny fraction of the cosmos. Just look at this glimpse of our observable universe and find Earth:

From our perspective, our entire reality begins and ends within our own human minds. Yet, surrounded by the magic and scale of the universe, we still instinctively search for a reason to be here.

The universe is expanding infinitely. But what is it expanding into? What does infinity even mean? The human brain may never fully grasp the sheer complexity of everything that aligned to create what we know as life.

And yet, here we are. Looking to find a purpose. Why does it all matter?

Lately, I've come up with a simple philosophy that I can ask these massive questions and still be "just a human being." It matters to me that I find something meaningful to live for. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl writes that our ability to endure anything, even immense suffering, comes down to finding meaning. I don’t know if the universe assigned us an inherent purpose, but it certainly makes the journey better when we choose one for ourselves.

Now, for me, and when I zoom out, I live for learning and curiosity. I find it difficult to find permanence in other things, but in a universe that is constantly expanding and changing, those are perhaps the only constants I need.