ikigai; a reason for being - the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
I'm often told I'm too trusting and naive, too ready to see the good in people or their ideas before their flaws. Like many things in life, that can be seen as a negative or a positive;
(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement. (of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent.
I hope people are saying I’m natural rather than lacking in judgement! I do recognise my tendency to take things at face value though, it’s a natural state of being I have to consciously rise above. Blaming it on being a Libran who needs to maintain equilibrium and balance (AKA sitting on the fence) doesn’t cut the mustard for long hehe
When it comes to learning new stuff though, I am usually a questioner. I think about the source, the motivation and what other schools of thought there are on a particular topic or directive. I remind myself that scepticism is not cynicism but a form of wisdom.
In countering my tendency to naivety I’ve been reminded recently of the ethos of contrarian thinking. This involves questioning everything, looking for what others don't see and thinking differently. It is not doing the exact opposite of what others are doing for the sake of it, but rather thinking critically, differently and resisting pressure to conform thus avoiding groupthink.
So, erm, why dragons and contrarian thinking?
When I asked my friend ChatGPT4 for ideas to weave contrarian thinking with ikigai it suggested the subheading with the mention of dragons. Given that it’s currently Saturday the 10th of February, Chinese Lunar New Year, and the year of the dragon, I ran with it!
Imagine a world where dragons are the keepers of ikigai. Each one guards a pillar of ikigai: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
Our protagonist, a knight weary of quests for glory and riches, seeks a deeper meaning in life. She hears of the legend of the ikigai dragons and embarks on a quest to understand the depth and breadth of each pillar and how to integrate those lessons into her life. Along the journey, the knight faces challenges that test not only skill and bravery but also empathy, creativity, and resilience; qualities that are essential in understanding the essence of ikigai.
🐉 From the Dragon of Passion, the knight learns the importance of pursuing what one loves, but also the reality that passion alone is not enough.
🐉 The Dragon of Mastery teaches the value of honing one's skills and the joy of continuous learning and improvement.
🐉 The Dragon of Necessity reveals the critical role of recognizing what the world needs, urging the knight to look beyond personal desires to the greater good.
🐉 Finally, the Dragon of Reward challenges the knight to find sustainable ways to blend passion, skill, and need into a vocation that also supports one's livelihood.
Love this really neat explanation (and reminder) about the guiding principles of Ikigai, Sarah, thanks! You know what? Your piece inspired some contrarian thinking in me (so thank you even more for that!). I'm wondering…is there something to be said for trying the complete OPPOSITE of Ikigai? Not to refute it, but to support it, as another way of experimenting.
Eg, instead of combining something I love, something I'm good at, something the world needs, and something I can get paid for, what if I went about:
• (re)trying things I don't like (in case I find that I actually do like them)
• something I'm bad at (because I've little experience doing it)
• something that has no apparent value to the world (but is interesting to me)
• and something I don't need to worry about getting paid for (which frees me to get creative without worrying about it paying my bills)
I actually think this would be a cool essay to write. What do you think?
Of course my answer to him was that I thought it a very cool idea and something I will definitely consider!
I like the way that he considers testing the tenets of ikigai, not necessarily to refute but to experiment. It invites a thought-provoking counterpoint to the ikigai philosophy, flipping the concept on its head.
Revisiting Dislikes - Exploring activities we've previously shunned offers an opportunity to challenge our biases. Our tastes evolve as we grow, shaped by experiences and exposure. Something once unappealing may now resonate with our current selves, revealing hidden passions or talents. This venture into disliked territories encourages open-mindedness and flexibility, essential traits for personal growth and innovation. By questioning our dislikes we open doors to new possibilities and cultivate a resilience against the fear of the unfamiliar, a crucial skill in an ever-changing world.
Embracing Ineptitude - Pursuing something we're not inherently good at is a humbling exercise in patience and perseverance. It reminds us that competence is often a function of practice rather than innate talent. A journey riddled with failures and setbacks, is invaluable for building grit and character. It teaches us the importance of process over outcome, a lesson that's increasingly lost in our efficiency-obsessed culture.
Pursuing the Apparently Valueless - Engaging in something that doesn't obviously benefit the world challenges the utilitarian view that value is solely determined by external demand or social impact. This exploration celebrates curiosity for curiosity's sake, reminiscent of the Renaissance thinkers who pursued knowledge across disparate fields, driven by pure wonder. This approach fosters creativity, as it liberates us from the constraints of conventional value systems, allowing for the kind of uninhibited exploration that often precedes breakthrough innovations. After all, many of today's indispensable technologies were born from ideas that initially seemed to lack practical application.
Ignoring Financial Incentives - Decoupling activities from the necessity of financial reward offers a profound freedom to explore and innovate. It's an acknowledgment that not all pursuits need to be monetized to be meaningful. This perspective can lead to a deeper engagement with our activities, as we're driven by passion and interest rather than financial viability. In a world where financial success is often the primary measure of value, choosing to engage in non-remunerative activities is a radical act of self-expression and authenticity.
This approach may not lead directly to finding ikigai in the traditional sense, but by valuing all experiences, not just those that neatly fit into our preconceived notions of success, we open ourselves up to a broader spectrum of possibilities for joy, fulfilment, and contribution to the world. It's an angle that underscores the beauty of exploration without preconditions, a philosophy that resonates deeply in our hope for a more innovative and inclusive future.
Onwards to ikigai quest 2 for contrarian thinking
One of the beautiful and serendipitous things about writing and sharing online is connecting with lots of new and very awesome people. Shern Tee is one such human I am glad I am able to learn from, his profile states; “seeking a soulful world where work makes people flourish, not fester”. He recently posted an essay which is a whole nother level of contrarian! >
In stories of magic, a spell is often undone by being said backwards, reversed. In a spare thought I wondered: what is the reverse of purpose?
The Japanese framework of "ikigai" says that life is well-lived when your work and activity is:
what you *want* to do,
what you *are good at*,
what you *can get paid for*,
and that *solves a need in the world*.
But this also exposes the forces of "iagiki", let's call it -- the forces of anti-purpose that prevent us from living a good, meaningful life.
😶🌫️ Ignorance is when we do not even know what the world's real needs are.
🤐 Indignity is when we endlessly hear that our wants are illegitimate or immoral.
Ignorance meets Indignity in *marginalisation* -- where people have been systematically airbrushed out of history, told they should not want what they want, and their problems never laid bare to those of us who want to and can help.
🫣 Insecurity means we cannot afford to try new things -- to get education or retraining or to switch careers or employers. And how can we find what we're good at if we never get to try new things?
Indignity meets Insecurity in *bootstrapism* -- endlessly expecting people to lift themselves out of poverty or oppression all on their own effort, without recognising how pain begets pain and how few people can make it in life without a hand up.
💸 Inequity concentrates wealth in the hands of an elite few -- so their whims and priorities determine what gets paid for and what doesn't. Inequity says when programmers are worth more than teachers and bankers more than nurses -- and, when economic headwinds strike, inequity also says how quickly those valuations can change.
Insecurity meets Inequity in scale-mania -- the endless drive to build bigger companies that homogenise operations across larger and larger market shares, without worrying about what is lost.
And Inequity meets Ignorance in propaganda -- the ability of sociocultural elite to dominate cultural representations of what matters and what doesn't.
While the drive to meaningful life *must* rest on individual self-knowledge and effort, the drives *against* meaningful life are animated by societal, collective illnesses. This is why fighting for meaningful lives involves collective as well as individual efforts:
👀 representation that foregrounds marginalised identities and communities
👋🏻 social support that cushions people between job changes and major life transitions
📍 localism that grounds economic development in details specific to communities and fights for the value in quality over quantity
🎓 education that activates individuals' minds against the tide of groupthink and propaganda.
I read this and thought WOW. It really opened my eyes to a very different way of thinking about ikigai. A complete reversal, the concept of "iagiki" is an ingenious way to frame the obstacles many face in achieving ikigai. It’s a stark reminder that while the pursuit of purpose and fulfilment is a personal journey, it is invariably influenced by external factors that are often beyond an individual's control. This perspective doesn't just add depth to our understanding of ikigai; it fundamentally challenges it by suggesting that the journey isn't solely an inward quest but also a battle against external societal forces.
The articulation of these four forces provides a comprehensive look at the multifaceted barriers people face:
Ignorance not knowing what the world needs, can be both a personal limitation and a societal one, where systems fail to educate or expose individuals to the broader needs of the world.
Indignity is a poignant reflection on how societal norms can delegitimize people’s desires and aspirations, often rooted in prejudice or narrow-mindedness.
Insecurity highlights the economic and social precarities that limit experimentation and growth, a critical barrier in discovering and pursuing one’s strengths and passions.
Inequity underscores the structural disparities that dictate who gets to pursue their ikigai and who does not, often overshadowed by the whims of economic and social elites.
Despite the significant challenges posed by "iagiki," there is power in awareness, community action, and systemic advocacy. By addressing these issues head-on, not only can individuals come closer to finding their ikigai, but society at large can move towards a more equitable and fulfilling future.
We can fight for not just the individual pursuit of purpose but a societal transformation that makes the luxury of questing for ikigai a possibility for all, not just a privileged few. I acknowledge that there are barriers for many, while steadfastly believing in the potential for change.
The Contrarian Conclusion
I’ve grappled before with whether seeking ikigai is a good thing or not. I clearly have come to the conclusion it is, but I haven’t yet built the strongest case yet for you my dear reader, exactly why and how it is already making my life easier and giving me clarity and peace. Looking at any philosophy through a contrarian filter allows you to challenge it and turn it inside out, to push it to the extreme and see if it still fits and how you can repurpose it to be a custom fit rather than off the shelf.
In our contrarian tale, the knight learns that ikigai is not a static treasure to be found and hoarded like a dragon's gold but a dynamic, ever-evolving journey. It's about embracing the complexity of life, much like understanding the nature of dragons themselves. The quest for ikigai, then, becomes a lifelong journey of self-discovery, growth, and adaptation, where the true treasure is the wisdom gained along the way.
Sometimes the most profound truths and insights come from challenging our conventional beliefs and embracing the complexity of our quest for meaning. Like dragons, our ikigai might seem elusive and intimidating, but it's the pursuit, with all its twists and turns, that enriches our lives and ultimately brings us closer to finding our unique place in the world.
ikigai isn't about finding a perfect balance but rather the pursuit itself, the quest that keeps us moving forward, like the endless quests of knights in dragon lore
Sarah, seeking ikigai xxx
PS: I’d love to hear your thoughts on contrarian thinking and how it relates to ikigai!
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