America’s Purpose Crisis

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In the United States—and much of the world—we are suffering from a crisis of purpose. Research by Larissa Rainey in 2014 found that up to 91 percent of people experience purpose anxiety, a frustrating, even depressing, struggle to define their life’s purpose.

Why is this happening? Because we’ve been conditioned to believe that purpose is one big, elusive thing—a grand, singular mission we must either discover or fail entirely. When we can’t figure out what our own purpose should be, we borrow it from others, latching onto external definitions of success. Unfortunately, three powerful forces in society are eager to sell us their version of purpose—and it’s toxic.

The 3 Forces Selling Us a False Purpose

1. Social media influencers: The illusion of the perfect life.

TikTok, Instagram, and other social platforms bombard us with highlight reels of success. Influencers sell a lifestyle of six-pack abs, seven-figure businesses, luxury travel, and effortless happiness. Their version of purpose is glamorous, aspirational—and almost always unattainable.

Most of us won’t have the perfect genetics, timing, or luck to follow in their footsteps, and when we inevitably fall short, we feel even more anxious and lost. But here’s the truth: Their version of purpose is often just a marketing ploy, meant to sell us a product or service—not to help us live a meaningful life.

2. Advertisers: Purpose as a product.

Advertisers know exactly how to manipulate our deep desire for meaning. Their job is to convince us that if we just buy their product, we’ll finally feel fulfilled. They show us idealized images: beautiful people driving luxury cars, climbing mountains, or living carefree in designer clothing.

The message? Purpose can be bought. But when we finally purchase the car, the outfit, or the vacation package, we quickly realize it didn’t actually change anything. The cycle repeats, and we keep spending, hoping the next thing will bring us purpose. It won’t.

3. Parents and society: The safe, "respectable" path.

From an early age, many of us are pushed toward prestigious, well-paying careers—doctor, lawyer, accountant—because they are deemed “successful” by our families and society. Often, this version of purpose is based on what our parents wish they had done or simply what’s considered "safe and respectable."

But money and status don’t automatically lead to fulfillment. If a career doesn’t truly light us up, we can spend decades climbing a ladder only to realize it’s leaning against the wrong wall. Many professionals in high-status careers feel trapped, unfulfilled, and burnt out—all because they adopted a borrowed purpose rather than discovered their own.

Breaking Free From the Purpose Crisis

The reason we’re in a crisis of purpose is that we’ve set ourselves up for failure. We’ve made purpose feel impossibly big: a singular, life-defining goal we must achieve. But real purpose isn’t a massive, elusive discovery; it’s something we create through small, meaningful actions.

The Shift: From Goal-Oriented to Process-Oriented Purpose

Instead of chasing one grand purpose, we should focus on process-oriented purpose—the small, daily activities that bring us joy and fulfillment. This could mean:

✅ Helping others in a way that feels important to us.
✅ Engaging in creative work that excites and challenges us.
✅ Learning, exploring, and growing, rather than just chasing a title or paycheck.
✅ Building connections with people who inspire and energize us.

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The more we define purpose by external forces, the more lost we will feel. Purpose isn’t something you find; it’s something you build.

So, instead of borrowing someone else’s version of purpose, ask yourself: What truly lights me up? What activities make me lose track of time? What do I do that feels meaningful, even if no one else notices?

If we can shift our mindset, we can break free from the purpose crisis—and finally start living a life that feels authentically ours.