From TrueAskReddit: https://old.reddit.com/r/TrueAskReddit/comments/145danm/what_is_the_most_fulfilling_way_a_human_can_spend/
TLDR: don’t ask ‘What is the most fulfilling way for a human to spend their life’, ask ‘What is the most fulfilling way I can spend my life’. And recognize that the answer will likely change a bit over time.
There is no definitive answer, but:
- Being present
- Appreciation
- Struggle for goals
- Relationships
There is a quote from Vonnegut that I love:
But I had a good uncle, my late Uncle Alex … He was well- read and wise. And his principal complaint about other human beings was that they so seldom noticed it when they were happy. So when we were drinking lemonade under an apple tree in the summer, say, and talking lazily about this and that, almost buzzing like honeybees, Uncle Alex would suddenly interrupt the agreeable blather to exclaim, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” SO I do the same now, and so do my kids and grandkids. And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, “if this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.
-Kurt Vonnegut “A man without a country”
And also what Plato says about living well which, I think, is also principled in being present. “Enjoy eating well, but not too much” that sort of thing.
There is no good life without the struggles. Without reasonable challenge and personal adversity (even something as simple as going to the gym daily and putting in the hours to reach a goal), it is much more difficult to appreciate the good moments. But mindfulness can help/enhance when things are going well.
I believe that striving toward goals is how to reach something akin to happiness and meaning. So going to work to make a certain amount of money so you can feel financially independent and self sufficient would be fulfilling to some.
For example look at children of wealthy but disengaged parents. Often if they can’t find something to latch onto (such as a competitive sport or hobby) they end up very unhappy, especially if their parents give them every material thing. From the outside looking in, people may think that they have an enviable life. But I think that they are generally less likely to be fulfilled from the outset
I liked the essay from “sex drugs and Cocoa Puffs” called “Billy Sim” which is a kind of silly commentary on consumerism and happiness. I think you should be able to access for free here or you can buy the essay online for like $1
Finally, meaningful relationships. If you’ve read Malcolm Gladwell’s “outliers” you may remember the story of that little town in PA with all the people from the same Italian village and an extremely close knit community and how they have significantly better health outcomes (In more detail in Outliers - extended families, better health outcomes). There is similar research on how Mexicans generally have longer lifespan than Americans despite having more health conditions, worse poverty, and generally worse healthcare… and how the longer lifespans directly ties into larger and closer knit families. I think this last one is more directly linked to your 3rd point about being more paleo.
If I haven’t provided enough external stuff to dig into, I’d recommend the Netflix documentary (?) by Jonah Hill on his therapist called Stutz. The doc summarizes the quick & dirty tools of being mentally well, basically.