according to French, Renaissance philosopher, Michelle demon, the great…

Page 40 according to French, Renaissance philosopher, Michelle demon, the great and glorious masterpiece of man is to live with purpose. Having a purpose, a goal that provides a sense of direction, and view our individual actions with meaning, and from experiencing life as a collection of disjointed pieces, we begin to experience it as a masterpiece. An over arching purpose can unify individual activities, just like the overarching theme of a symphony, unifies the individual notes. In and of itself, a note does not amount too much, but it becomes significant, and beautiful, when part of a common theme, a common purpose.

— from Before Takeoff (front matter) · Happier by Ben-Shahar

In the book

A few things about the flight you're beginning. Know where you are going, because if you don't, as the cat told Alice, it doesn't much matter which way you walk. The great and glorious masterpiece of a human being, Montaigne said, is to live with purpose — a purpose unifies a scattered collection of days into something whole the way a single theme turns separate notes into a symphony. Everyone has such a purpose; it is usually hidden inside the things you are genuinely good at, and the surest way to use it is in the service of other people. — Before Takeoff (front matter)

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