Find Your Purpose in Life

Summary

Robert Greene, author of 'The 48 Laws of Power' and other books, emphasizes discovering one's unique 'life's task' to achieve success and fulfillment. He advises exploring childhood interests and experiences to uncover natural inclinations, stressing the importance of passion and specificity in this search. Greene suggests maintaining a strong desire to find this life's task and resisting societal pressures. He highlights the role of love and hate as motivators and encourages continuous self-reflection and exploration, regardless of age, to align one's career and personal growth with true passions and talents.

Takeaways

• 📚 Robert Greene emphasizes the importance of discovering one's 'life's task' for achieving success and fulfillment.
• 🧬 Each individual is unique with their own DNA and experiences, which shapes their identity and potential.
• 🔍 Finding your life's task involves investigating your childhood and early years for clues about your passions and interests.
• ❤️ Desire and passion are crucial; you must love the idea of discovering your life's task to find the necessary energy and motivation.
• 😡 Recognize and resist external influences that distract you from your true interests, such as societal expectations or peer pressure.
• 📝 Focus on specifics and details from your past that reveal your inclinations, rather than vague generalities.
• 📖 Robert shares his own experiences with words and language as examples of how early interests can signal a life's task.
• 💡 Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences can help identify your natural inclinations, such as linguistic, musical, logical, spatial, or kinesthetic intelligence.
• 🎵 Personal anecdotes, like Steve Jobs' fascination with technology, highlight how seemingly trivial moments can reveal deep-seated interests.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Be a detective of your own life, diligently seeking out and analyzing moments of excitement and passion to uncover your life's task.

Q & A

Who is Robert Greene and what is he known for?

Robert Greene is an author known for his books on power, strategy, and mastery. Some of his notable works include 'The 48 Laws of Power,' 'The Art of Seduction,' 'The 33 Strategies of War,' 'The 50th Law,' 'Mastery,' and 'The Laws of Human Nature.' His books often center around power dynamics and interpersonal relationships.

What is the main theme of Robert Greene's speech?

The main theme of Robert Greene's speech is the concept of discovering one's 'life's task' or unique purpose. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's individuality, which he believes leads to success, fulfillment, and happiness. Greene argues that each person is born with unique DNA and experiences, and discovering this uniqueness is key to living a fulfilled life.

What does Robert Greene mean by 'life's task'?

Robert Greene defines 'life's task' as the unique purpose or calling that each individual is meant to pursue. According to Greene, this is discovered by exploring one's personal history, interests, and inclinations. He argues that recognizing and following this task leads to success, fulfillment, and the acquisition of power and happiness.

How does Robert Greene suggest one can discover their life's task?

Robert Greene suggests discovering one's life's task by reflecting on childhood interests and experiences. He recommends examining moments when you felt excited or passionate about something, even if they seem trivial. He advises embracing what you genuinely love and rejecting societal pressures or influences that distract you from your true interests.

What role do love and hate play in discovering one's life's task, according to Greene?

According to Robert Greene, love and hate are powerful emotions that can drive the discovery of one's life's task. Love represents the passion and desire to pursue what truly interests you, while hate symbolizes the rejection of external influences that detract from your true purpose. Greene believes that understanding these emotions helps in focusing on what genuinely matters to you.

What are the five forms of intelligence according to Howard Gardner, as mentioned by Greene?

In his speech, Robert Greene references Howard Gardner's five forms of intelligence: Linguistic intelligence (words and language), Musical intelligence (sounds and patterns), Logical-mathematical intelligence (numbers and logic), Spatial intelligence (visual and spatial understanding), and Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (physical movement). Greene also adds a sixth form: Social intelligence (understanding and empathizing with people).

Why does Robert Greene emphasize specificity in discovering one's life's task?

Robert Greene emphasizes specificity because he believes that people often deal with vague generalities rather than concrete details. He advises focusing on specific experiences and moments that reveal one's interests and inclinations. By examining these specific instances, individuals can better understand what truly excites them and aligns with their unique life's task.

How does Greene suggest dealing with external influences when pursuing your life's task?

Greene suggests actively rejecting external influences that distract from your life's task. He advises being aware of societal, parental, and peer pressures that may push you towards paths that don't align with your true interests. By identifying and resisting these influences, you can stay focused on what genuinely matters to you.

What does Robert Greene say about finding one's life's task later in life?

Robert Greene acknowledges that discovering one's life's task later in life can be more challenging but still very important. He advises those over 30 to focus on understanding their unique inclinations and pursue them with determination. Even if it requires exploration and experimentation, finding one's life's task is crucial for fulfillment and success.

What is the key takeaway from Robert Greene's speech?

The key takeaway from Robert Greene's speech is the importance of self-discovery and pursuing one's unique life's task. By understanding what makes you different and focusing on your true interests, you can achieve success, fulfillment, and happiness. Greene emphasizes that knowing yourself and your individuality is essential for personal and professional growth.

Outlines

00:00

🔎 Discovering Your Life's Task

In the first paragraph, Robert Greene introduces the concept of a 'life's task' as the most crucial element for an individual's success and fulfillment. He emphasizes the uniqueness of each person's DNA and experiences, suggesting that cultivating this uniqueness leads to discovering one's life's task. Greene, the author of several influential books, including 'The 48 Laws of Power' and 'Mastery,' discusses the frequent question he receives about finding one's purpose. He asserts that the desire to find this task is paramount, and one must love the idea of their uniqueness and despise the distractions that pull them away from it. He also touches on the importance of focusing on specifics rather than generalities when seeking to understand one's life's task.

05:01

📚 Early Signs of Life's Task in Childhood

The second paragraph delves into Greene's personal childhood experiences that hinted at his inclination towards language and writing. Recounting a game involving word formation from the word 'Carpenter,' he illustrates his early fascination with words. He also shares his experience of writing a short story and his appreciation for the beauty of Hebrew letters, indicating a deep-seated love for language. Greene suggests that these seemingly trivial moments are the 'little signs' that can reveal one's natural inclination or 'life's task.' He references Howard Gardner's 'Frames of Intelligence' to explain the different forms of intelligence and how individuals may have a natural tendency towards one or more of these. The paragraph encourages introspection and the examination of childhood memories to uncover these early signs of one's life's purpose.

10:02

🚀 Embracing Your Life's Task for Personal Growth

In the third paragraph, Greene continues the discussion on identifying one's life's task, using the story of Steve Jobs's childhood fascination with electronics as an example. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing moments of excitement and pleasure in early years as indicators of one's true calling. Greene advises that the process of discovery involves deep introspection and the creation of lists detailing what one loves and hates, distinguishing between influences from others and genuine personal preferences. He stresses that finding one's life's task is not solely about career but also about mental health and self-understanding. The paragraph concludes with the idea that once the life's task is discovered, it can lead to a more adventurous and fulfilling life, with a focus on exploration and experimentation aligned with one's unique interests and passions.

Keywords

💡Life's Task

The term 'Life's Task' refers to the unique purpose or mission that each individual is meant to pursue based on their inherent qualities and personal experiences. Robert Greene emphasizes that discovering one's Life's Task is crucial for achieving fulfillment and success. This concept is central to the video's message, as Greene encourages viewers to look within their childhood and early life to find clues about their true calling.

💡Uniqueness

Uniqueness refers to the distinct characteristics and experiences that set an individual apart from others. Greene highlights that every person is born with unique DNA and has unique experiences that shape who they are. Recognizing and cultivating this uniqueness is essential for discovering one's Life's Task and achieving personal fulfillment.

💡Desire

Desire, in the context of the video, refers to the strong inclination or passion that drives individuals to pursue their Life's Task. Greene explains that a high level of desire is necessary to find and follow one's true calling. Without genuine interest and passion, the energy required to discover and pursue one's purpose will be lacking.

💡Childhood Clues

Childhood clues are the small, seemingly trivial moments or interests from one's early years that can reveal important aspects of their Life's Task. Greene advises viewers to look back at their childhood experiences for signs of what they were naturally drawn to. These clues can provide insight into one's innate inclinations and passions.

💡Influences

Influences refer to external factors, such as parents, peers, and social media, that can distract individuals from discovering their true Life's Task. Greene suggests that recognizing and resisting these influences is crucial for focusing on one's unique path. He emphasizes the importance of being aware of and filtering out the opinions and pressures from others.

💡Howard Gardner's Frames of Intelligence

Howard Gardner's Frames of Intelligence is a theory that identifies different types of intelligence, such as linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, and social intelligence. Greene references this theory to illustrate that individuals have natural inclinations towards certain types of intelligence. Understanding one's dominant intelligence can help in identifying their Life's Task.

💡Specifics

Specifics refer to the detailed and concrete elements of one's experiences and challenges. Greene stresses the importance of focusing on specific details rather than generalities when trying to understand and address issues. In the context of discovering one's Life's Task, paying attention to specific moments and interests from the past can provide valuable insights.

💡Adventure

Adventure, in Greene's discussion, refers to the process of exploring and experimenting with different paths and experiences in the pursuit of one's Life's Task. He encourages viewers to be open to trying new things and taking risks, especially when they are young. This exploratory phase can help individuals refine their understanding of their true calling.

💡Mental Health

Mental health is the overall well-being of an individual's emotional and psychological state. Greene connects the process of discovering one's Life's Task to mental health, suggesting that knowing and pursuing one's true purpose can lead to greater satisfaction and happiness. He emphasizes that this self-discovery process is not only about career but also about understanding and fulfilling one's deeper desires and impulses.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Greene mentions social intelligence, which includes empathy, as one of the frames of intelligence. Recognizing one's capacity for empathy can be crucial in identifying their Life's Task, especially if their purpose involves interpersonal relationships and helping others.

Highlights

Robert Greene emphasizes the importance of discovering one's life's task as the most crucial element for personal success and fulfillment.

The concept of life's task is tied to the unique DNA and experiences that make each individual distinct.

Cultivating one's uniqueness and discovering one's life's task can lead to success, power, and a fulfilled life.

The process of finding one's life's task requires a high level of desire and passion for self-discovery.

Greene suggests that love and even hate can be powerful motivators in the pursuit of one's life's task.

The author advises to eliminate external influences that distract from discovering one's true path.

Focusing on specifics and details is crucial in understanding one's life's task, as opposed to generalities.

Greene shares personal anecdotes from his childhood that hinted at his inclination towards language and writing.

The idea of 'Frames of Intelligence' by Howard Gardner is introduced, suggesting that everyone has a natural inclination towards a certain type of intelligence.

Greene encourages individuals to look back at childhood moments that sparked excitement or interest as clues to one's life's task.

The author provides an example of Steve Jobs' childhood fascination with objects, foreshadowing his future in design and technology.

The process of self-discovery is not limited to career but extends to mental health and understanding one's desires and impulses.

Greene recommends creating lists of loved and hated things to analyze what is genuinely from within versus external influences.

Once the life's task is discovered, it serves as a guiding direction for future explorations and endeavors.

The author suggests that even if one is older, the process of discovering one's life's task is still valuable and impactful.

Greene concludes that knowing who you are and what makes you unique is the most important lesson one can learn in life.

Transcripts

hello everyone out there my name is

Robert Greene the most important thing

that you can discover or learn which is

what I call your life's task so you're a

detective looking in the interior of

your childhood of your early years for

those kinds of details

hello everyone out there my name is

Robert Green I'm the author of several

books my first one is perhaps the most

famous One the 48 Laws of Power I've

also written The Art of Seduction the 33

Strategies of War I co-wrote a book with

the rapper 50 Cent called the 50th law I

did a book called Mastery and the loss

of human nature my most recent book The

Daily laws as you can tell my book sort

of center around subjects dealing with

power and interpersonal relationships I

want to talk now about probably the most

frequent question that I get from people

who email me which has to do with a

subject in my fifth book Mastery and in

that book I discuss what I think is the

most important element in your life the

most important thing that you can

discover or learn which is what I call

your life's task and the idea is simple

you were born as the individual

completely unique

DNA that comprises who you are has never

existed in the millions of years of

evolution that will never exist in the

future it is completely who you are your

experiences as you grow up from one

years on is unique in the world nobody

ever in the past or future will have

exactly your experiences exactly your

parents Etc that marks you as an

individual completely unique it's like a

seed that's planted at your birth right

and if you cultivate that seed if you

cultivate that uniqueness you discover

your life's task and you have success

and power and money will come to you and

your life will be fulfilled and if you

don't

to any degree if you completely fail in

that then you're not you're going to

have the opposite you're going to have a

life of a lot of suffering and

unhappiness and dissatisfaction but the

question always arises how do I find my

life's task Robert I really have no idea

the first thing I say is it all depends

on the level of your desire which is

true for anything in life

if you really really want something if

you really love it if it's really

important to you you will find the

energy you will you will find the answer

but if you're only kind of half

interested in it if you're only kind of

teased by the idea of your treat but

it's not enough you'll never have the

energy to go through the search of

discovering your life's tasks so I tell

you you have to love this idea you have

to love that unique person in you as if

it's like an actual human being that you

love you falling in love with it you

want them you want to pursue it it means

a lot to you you also have hate because

hate and anger is a very powerful

emotion you need to be motivated to this

what do you hate you hate all the other

influences in your life that are

distracting you from your life's tasks

you hate your parents for telling you

this is what you should go into you

don't hate your parents but you hate

them telling you that this is what you

should go into you need to become a

lawyer you become a doctor you don't

deserve this get rid of that get out of

my life get that out of my head

you hate peers who are telling you

what's cool what's interesting you hate

all the crap on social media it's

filling you with what the trends are

with what other people are doing what

other people are interested that's your

enemy the enemy is what people are

trying to tell you what you should be

interested in so if you're able to

generate that kind of love and to see

clearly the enemy then the life's task

kind of flow to you in a kind of nice

fluid manner now the other thing is as

I've told in many other talks before I

do a lot of Consulting and the main

problem I have with people who come to

me with issues and it's not defaulting

because we all have this problem is they

don't deal with specifics they kind of

deal in generalities

I don't know how to deal with people

I've got this partner and I don't know

what's wrong with them I I don't know

how to get my company and my group

energized Etc I'm trying to say look I

need details I need specifics don't

function don't focus on the big picture

give me the details give me stories of

what people are doing give me stories

and details about what you've done and

your frustration I want to hear the

little grains of sand not the whole

ocean of what's going on right people

have a very hard time focusing on it

well it's the same thing with your

life's task it's not going to be Robert

Greene wakes up and he's nine years old

and he goes I want to be a writer I'm

going to write books it doesn't work

like that

you're not gonna be able to find that in

your past what you want are little

details little signs that reveal

something essential so if I look back at

my own lives I'm chucked I know it

sounds a bit narcissistic but it's easy

because I know my own experience I don't

know yours

um when I was about 9 10 years old I was

in fourth grade I remember very distinct

I remember the day very distinctly my

teacher Ms Fiore she put on this new

game for us on the on the Blackboard she

wrote on the Blackboard the word

Carpenter I still remembered vividly and

she said how many words can you spell

out of that word Carpenter

something went on in my brain going whoa

what an exciting fun game you mean you

can form words out of other words that

is so interesting I remember the word

that I first formed to this day it was

the word ant wow you could form the word

ant out of carpenter weird I also

remember I formed the word crab and I

don't think she was very happy about

that

but anyway I ended up winning the

contest because I was so excited about

it and what they showed to me was I was

fascinated with words

with just the look of words the sound of

words and I was you know something about

it just excited me in a primal way that

you can't explain and that I remember

that's a very trivial stupid story but

it revealed something about my

relationship to language I remember I

wrote a short story shortly thereafter a

or an embarrassing short story that if

ever got published would shame me to

death it was about

first humans that appeared on the planet

and the vultures that are observing them

the story was written from the point of

view of vultures but here I was like

trying to like generate stories from an

early age and then I remember I went to

Hebrew school as a child preparing for a

bar mitzvah and the letters the Hebrew

letters there's not those this most

beautiful thing I've ever seen they were

like poetry you know learning the sounds

of it was difficult enough but the shape

of those letters was so beautiful so

words the look of words the sound of

words the putting them together the

stories they fascinated me as did books

I often ask people

it was the thing that you wanted to do

the most on your own if you could get

close your door and get away from your

parents which all children have that

desire for what is it that you would do

and for me whenever I and this happened

a lot I would close that damn door and I

would get out all my books and I would

just read and read and read and read and

read

these are the little signs that revealed

that Robert very young Robert had a love

of language the writing was something

that would be natural fit for him and

then of course I went on an adventure

that I discovered described in my TED

talk about how I ended up writing the

kind of books that I write but that

gives you an idea of a little bit of the

process it's a book that I love and I

highly recommend called the frames of

intelligence

by Howard Gardner and basically the idea

is there are five forms of intelligence

that he kind of signals in his book

and he says that everybody has a kind of

tendency in their brain towards that

kind of intelligence and just very

briefly there is words and Linguistics

like I mentioned for me there's music

and musical pattern which is an

obsession with sounds to their own safe

and and Melody and Harmony and all these

other things there's mathematics and

logic which is numbers and The Ordering

of things in logical fashion there's

spatial intelligence which is something

I failed miserably when I was a child

which is actually looking at images and

figuring out how to manipulate them in

your brain something that Nikolai Tesla

was probably the greatest genius at

people who end up in engineering or who

are visual artists often have that and

finally there's kinetic intelligence

which is the body which is you know just

basically the love of moving your body

and having an awareness of it I would

add another one which is social

intelligence the love of getting along

with people of empathizing and

understanding their world

the idea is that your brain has a

natural inclination just look at it as

kind of a going down a hill that your

thoughts and ideas inclined in that

direction they incline towards words

towards sounds and music towards spatial

organization towards logical ordering

things towards moving your body towards

people but there might be even other

grades in this or whatever okay and it's

not like I want to be a mathematician

when you're six years old or I'm going

to become a physicist it's these little

things that reveal that you have this

kind of inclination like I had towards

words

and I ask people to kind of dig inside

themselves and to find little stories

when you're a child of those particular

moments that will reveal some kind of

excitement that you had in relation to

something that might seem trivial there

was a story of Steve Jobs when he was

six years old his father was taking him

through the streets of Sunnyvale

California and he passed a store of of

equipment of of like cameras and Stereos

Etc and his eyes got wide open wow just

the beauty of the objects just the metal

the components the shininess how they

were designed he just was fascinated

with them a very trivial moment in his

life something that was kind of just

glossed over in his biographies but for

me revealed one of these things that I'm

talking about

so you're a detective looking in the

interior of your childhood of your early

years for those kinds of details people

will say well Robert I don't have

anything like that I'm sorry I'm lost I

can't remember anything like

exist

you're looking at

you're not you don't have you're not

spending the time you don't have that

desire for reaching it you're not

writing every day in a notebook about

what they could be you're not looking

hard enough they are there there are

moments where you felt so excited by

something you could barely control it

and it wasn't and it was a kind of a

pleasure in it and so even if let's say

it was music that excited you even if

you had to practice the piano day by day

rather boring tasks you found practice

actually kind of fun these are signs of

what I call your life's task so that's

the process that you want to go through

and in my book Mastery in chapter one I

give you more details about how to look

for it

but once you've discovered it's like

gold and everything will open up for you

hopefully if you're young if you're not

golden range of 18 to 25 and you're kind

of searching this will have you will go

through this process in a deep way and

you will find what that is right

if you're older the process is a little

different a little more difficult but

still very important and the idea is

once discovered you could have some

Adventure you're going to explore or I

don't want to be a writer okay I want to

get into music oh I want to start my own

business you're not going to be so

tunnel vision and just go into one job

into one thing you're going to

experiment you're gonna have some fun

you're gonna have some Adventures you

might travel you might do things but

you're always kind of focused in that

general direction if you're a writer

you're reading books right etc etc if

you're an entrepreneur you're starting

little businesses here and you're

learning about them you by the time

you're 30 you've tried four or five

different things and now you're ready

for some kind of creative explosion

right but this is the key thing in your

life and it's once you discover it

everything else will open up for you so

um just learn the lesson of the most

important thing that you can do in your

life

is to know who you are really to sum

this all up in simply to know what makes

you different what makes you unique what

you love that's different from what

other people love right and I tell

people when you're older continually

create lists of things you hate and

things you love and look through them

and analyze them and go is this because

what other people are telling me to hate

and what other people are telling me to

love or does it come truly from within

so this process of finding your life's

task is not just about your career it's

also about your your mental health about

discovering who you are what makes you

unique so you can become acquainted with

your own desires your own impulses and

not so controlled by what other people

are doing thinking