Purpose (glossary entry)
Most of these pages use the word purpose to refer to the most global or all-encompassing purpose behind any specific purpose. So if the word appears without clarification it is just as likely to mean one's purpose in life rather than the purpose of the task or activity.
The frequently-mentioned concept of higher purpose refers to purposes that are pursued by a greater number of people (see the levels), or which extend over a longer period of one's life. In the extreme, a purpose is an end in and of itself that will be served by future generations even after all of those now living have died.
Many people distinguish purpose from mission out of respect for religious principles. This distinction is evident in the widely held belief:
I may not know for what purpose I was put in this world. but I can adopt a mission and pledge to serve it throughout my life.
A purpose (or mission) of one kind or another is the ultimate object of each of the other intermediate steps (task, goal, project, etc.) discussed on the success and priorities pages.
The MCV02 article discusses the (often life-long) process of finding or defining a purpose (or mission) for an individual person.
A "purpose statement" is a set of words, not necessarily a complete sentence, and with various grammatical structures. I tend to express purposes in the infinitive, e.g.
to protect and to serve
(motto of the Los Angeles Police Department) (5w)
and I usually include one or more follow-on clauses.
Here are some purpose statements exemplifying various structures, all in the infinitive:
to continually broaden the range of my mentorship
— my purpose statement (8w)
to create spaces where marginalized voices are heard and valued
— an example from themeaningmovement.com (10w)
to inspire others to pursue meaningful work that aligns with their values and strengths
— another example from themeaningmovement.com (14w)
to discover, learn, and share
the great secrets of life,
such that men and women
respect each other,
promote heterarchies,
and committedly provide subsequent generations
with the essentials for
sustainable global culture
— my mission statement (31w)
to transform the quality of people's relationships
by defining the differences between men and women
so that they know their Selves,
become closer to each other,
and have the partnership and the context
necessary for the transition to
a true global community.
— the purpose of the Sterling Institute of Relationship (42w)
to create an enduring culture
that is stronger, more whole, and more complete
than the Atlas culture upon which it is built,
leading the men of MDI and beyond to a greatness
that strengthens, enriches, and broadens
the future of all the world
— the purpose of Foundation (43w)
To engage in the process of
locating the source of your power
and discovering and dissolving the barriers between you and manifesting that power
so that you experience total freedom as only a man can
and with that freedom be the man you always wanted to be
— the purpose of the Sterling Men's Weekend (47w)
to apply mature masculine mentorship
so that every man realises his true potential
and becomes the best version of himself and the man the world needs,
so that his commitment to the success of all Mankind
will motivate him to make a contribution
that lives beyond himself
and enables enduring global prosperity
— my contextual purpose for Bly-style men's work (52w)
This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2026 Sep 25.
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