Identifying and Answering Big Life Questions

By Tom Horvath, PhD

Whether we think about them or not, our lives are an ongoing answer to “big questions:” What is important to me? Who is important to me? How important is my health and longevity? What is fun? What is most satisfying? What contribution (if any) do I want to make to the world (or some part of it)? What would I like to be remembered for, and by whom?

Identifying Big Life questions

The list of questions just stated is not definitive. You get to choose your own questions! It is often helpful, however, to learn about the big questions (the “God, man, and the universe” questions) that others have.

For many of us much of the time, it is very easy to get caught up in short-term answers to these questions. We can focus on what and who is important right now, what is fun and satisfying right now, what I want to accomplish right now, and so forth. However, a focus on right now misses out on the reality that with luck we will be here for decades more. Decades of right now focus usually do not add up to a satisfying life.

Two examples: If I spend all my money on right now, and do not save, I will at some point be quite economically challenged (fortunately, the Social Security system enforces some retirement savings). On the other hand, if I put ALL of my money into savings, I would starve to death soon!

If I usually eat what tastes good right now (often desserts and sweets of various kinds), I am probably not focused on more healthy foods (and developing an appreciation for their tastes over time). Unlike saving money, eating only healthy foods has only a minor downside, missing out on the tastes of some foods. However, with an ongoing focus only on healthy foods, they taste better.

Approaching the Answer to Big Questions

Whether food, money, or something else, balancing short-term and long-term priorities is often the route to a satisfying life. I suggest as a general guideline, when you are not sure of the balance to have, to err on the side of long-term rather than right now satisfaction. We often default to right now (and there are some good evolutionary reasons to do so), but in our current world, long-term focus is too often neglected.

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