8/30/2016 OnFindingYourPurpose:AnExtraordinaryLetterbyHunterS.

Thompson

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OnFindingYourPurpose:AnExtraordinary
LetterbyHunterS.Thompson
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InAprilof1958,a22yearoldHunterS.Thompsonwrotealetteronthe
meaningoflifewhenaskedbyafriendforadvice.Whatmakeshis
responseallthemoreprofoundisthefactthatatthetime,theworldhad
noideathathewouldbecomeoneofthemostimportantwritersofthe
20thcentury.Thereforehisbeliefsaboutpurposewerehypothetical
theywerestatementsoffaith.

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8/30/2016 OnFindingYourPurpose:AnExtraordinaryLetterbyHunterS.Thompson

Butifitstruethatourbeliefsreallydobecomeourreality,thentheres
nobetterexampleofalifefullyrealisedthantheoneofHunterS.
Thompson.Lethisperspectiveinspireyou:

IwasnotproudofwhatIhadlearned,butIneverdoubted
thatitwasworthknowing.HunterS.Thompson
April22,1958
57PerryStreet
NewYorkCity

DearHume,

Youaskadvice:ah,whataveryhumanandverydangerousthingtodo!
Fortogiveadvicetoamanwhoaskswhattodowithhislifeimplies
somethingveryclosetoegomania.Topresumetopointamantotheright
andultimategoaltopointwithatremblingfingerintheRIGHT
directionissomethingonlyafoolwouldtakeuponhimself.

Iamnotafool,butIrespectyoursincerityinaskingmyadvice.Iaskyou
though,inlisteningtowhatIsay,torememberthatalladvicecanonlybe
aproductofthemanwhogivesit.Whatistruthtoonemaybedisasterto
another.Idonotseelifethroughyoureyes,noryouthroughmine.IfI
weretoattempttogiveyouspecificadvice,itwouldbetoomuchlikethe
blindleadingtheblind.

Tobe,ornottobe:thatisthequestion:Whethertisnoblerinthemind
tosuffertheslingsandarrowsofoutrageousfortune,ortotakearms
againstaseaoftroubles(Shakespeare)

Andindeed,thatISthequestion:whethertofloatwiththetide,orto
swimforagoal.Itisachoicewemustallmakeconsciouslyor
unconsciouslyatonetimeinourlives.Sofewpeopleunderstandthis!
Thinkofanydecisionyouveevermadewhichhadabearingonyour
future:Imaybewrong,butIdontseehowitcouldhavebeenanything
butachoicehoweverindirectbetweenthetwothingsIvementioned:
thefloatingortheswimming.

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8/30/2016 OnFindingYourPurpose:AnExtraordinaryLetterbyHunterS.Thompson

Butwhynotfloatifyouhavenogoal?Thatisanotherquestion.Itis
unquestionablybettertoenjoythefloatingthantoswiminuncertainty.
Sohowdoesamanfindagoal?Notacastleinthestars,butarealand
tangiblething.Howcanamanbesurehesnotafterthebigrockcandy
mountain,theenticingsugarcandygoalthathaslittletasteandno
substance?

Theanswerand,inasense,thetragedyoflifeisthatweseekto
understandthegoalandnottheman.Wesetupagoalwhichdemandsof
uscertainthings:andwedothesethings.Weadjusttothedemandsofa
conceptwhichCANNOTbevalid.Whenyouwereyoung,letussaythat
youwantedtobeafireman.Ifeelreasonablysafeinsayingthatyouno
longerwanttobeafireman.Why?Becauseyourperspectivehaschanged.
Itsnotthefiremanwhohaschanged,butyou.Everymanisthesumtotal
ofhisreactionstoexperience.Asyourexperiencesdifferandmultiply,
youbecomeadifferentman,andhenceyourperspectivechanges.This
goesonandon.Everyreactionisalearningprocesseverysignificant
experiencealtersyourperspective.

Soitwouldseemfoolish,woulditnot,toadjustourlivestothedemands
ofagoalweseefromadifferentangleeveryday?Howcouldweever
hopetoaccomplishanythingotherthangallopingneurosis?

Theanswer,then,mustnotdealwithgoalsatall,ornotwithtangible
goals,anyway.Itwouldtakereamsofpapertodevelopthissubjectto
fulfillment.Godonlyknowshowmanybookshavebeenwrittenonthe
meaningofmanandthatsortofthing,andgodonlyknowshowmany
peoplehaveponderedthesubject.(Iusethetermgodonlyknows
purelyasanexpression.)Theresverylittlesenseinmytryingtogiveit
uptoyouintheproverbialnutshell,becauseImthefirsttoadmitmy
absolutelackofqualificationsforreducingthemeaningoflifetooneor
twoparagraphs.

Imgoingtosteerclearofthewordexistentialism,butyoumightkeep
itinmindasakeyofsorts.YoumightalsotrysomethingcalledBeing
andNothingnessbyJeanPaulSartre,andanotherlittlethingcalled
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8/30/2016 OnFindingYourPurpose:AnExtraordinaryLetterbyHunterS.Thompson

Existentialism:FromDostoyevskytoSartre.Thesearemerely
suggestions.Ifyouregenuinelysatisfiedwithwhatyouareandwhat
youredoing,thengivethosebooksawideberth.(Letsleepingdogslie.)
Butbacktotheanswer.AsIsaid,toputourfaithintangiblegoalswould
seemtobe,atbest,unwise.Sowedonotstrivetobefiremen,wedonot
strivetobebankers,norpolicemen,nordoctors.WESTRIVETOBE
OURSELVES.

Butdontmisunderstandme.IdontmeanthatwecantBEfiremen,
bankers,ordoctorsbutthatwemustmakethegoalconformtothe
individual,ratherthanmaketheindividualconformtothegoal.Inevery
man,heredityandenvironmenthavecombinedtoproduceacreatureof
certainabilitiesanddesiresincludingadeeplyingrainedneedto
functioninsuchawaythathislifewillbeMEANINGFUL.Amanhasto
BEsomethinghehastomatter.

AsIseeitthen,theformularunssomethinglikethis:amanmustchoose
apathwhichwilllethisABILITIESfunctionatmaximumefficiency
towardthegratificationofhisDESIRES.Indoingthis,heisfulfillinga
need(givinghimselfidentitybyfunctioninginasetpatterntowardaset
goal),heavoidsfrustratinghispotential(choosingapathwhichputsno
limitonhisselfdevelopment),andheavoidstheterrorofseeinghisgoal
wiltorloseitscharmashedrawsclosertoit(ratherthanbendinghimself
tomeetthedemandsofthatwhichheseeks,hehasbenthisgoalto
conformtohisownabilitiesanddesires).

Inshort,hehasnotdedicatedhislifetoreachingapredefinedgoal,but
hehasratherchosenawayoflifeheKNOWShewillenjoy.Thegoalis
absolutelysecondary:itisthefunctioningtowardthegoalwhichis
important.AnditseemsalmostridiculoustosaythatamanMUST
functioninapatternofhisownchoosingfortoletanothermandefine
yourowngoalsistogiveuponeofthemostmeaningfulaspectsoflife
thedefinitiveactofwillwhichmakesamananindividual.

Letsassumethatyouthinkyouhaveachoiceofeightpathstofollow(all
predefinedpaths,ofcourse).Andletsassumethatyoucantseeanyreal
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8/30/2016 OnFindingYourPurpose:AnExtraordinaryLetterbyHunterS.Thompson

purposeinanyoftheeight.THENandhereistheessenceofallIve
saidyouMUSTFINDANINTHPATH.

Naturally,itisntaseasyasitsounds.Youvelivedarelativelynarrowlife,
averticalratherthanahorizontalexistence.Soitisntanytoodifficultto
understandwhyyouseemtofeelthewayyoudo.Butamanwho
procrastinatesinhisCHOOSINGwillinevitablyhavehischoicemadefor
himbycircumstance.

Soifyounownumberyourselfamongthedisenchanted,thenyouhave
nochoicebuttoacceptthingsastheyare,ortoseriouslyseeksomething
else.Butbewareoflookingforgoals:lookforawayoflife.Decidehow
youwanttoliveandthenseewhatyoucandotomakealivingWITHIN
thatwayoflife.Butyousay,IdontknowwheretolookIdontknow
whattolookfor.

Andtheresthecrux.IsitworthgivingupwhatIhavetolookfor
somethingbetter?Idontknowisit?Whocanmakethatdecisionbut
you?ButevenbyDECIDINGTOLOOK,yougoalongwaytoward
makingthechoice.

IfIdontcallthistoahalt,Imgoingtofindmyselfwritingabook.Ihope
itsnotasconfusingasitlooksatfirstglance.Keepinmind,ofcourse,
thatthisisMYWAYoflookingatthings.Ihappentothinkthatitspretty
generallyapplicable,butyoumaynot.Eachofushastocreateourown
credothismerelyhappenstobemine.

Ifanypartofitdoesntseemtomakesense,byallmeanscallittomy
attention.Imnottryingtosendyououtontheroadinsearchof
Valhalla,butmerelypointingoutthatitisnotnecessarytoacceptthe
choiceshandeddowntoyoubylifeasyouknowit.Thereismoretoit
thanthatnooneHAStodosomethinghedoesntwanttodoforthe
restofhislife.Butthenagain,ifthatswhatyouwindupdoing,byall
meansconvinceyourselfthatyouHADtodoit.Youllhavelotsof
company.

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8/30/2016 OnFindingYourPurpose:AnExtraordinaryLetterbyHunterS.Thompson

Andthatsitfornow.UntilIhearfromyouagain,Iremain,

Yourfriend,
Hunter

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