> focusing on other people, and their motivations, and what they get out of whatever they're doing
I want to focus on this because I don’t believe in the idea of an authentic self and I want to know how anyone can find something that makes them feel this way, or at least how they can trick themselves into thinking some boring topic like writing productivity advice blogs can feel meaningful. Put this guy’s birth in 1800 and I’m sure he won’t feel any sense of loss because he can’t write anymore.
Is there anything you like to do without being prompted by someone else? Something you have to take an active part of? That's the thing you're searching for. It's the act of doing that gives happiness and the fact that you've done something that give satisfaction. I don't think of it as authentic self or whatever. It's just something that I can do and I enjoy doing. It's not supposed to be objectively meaningful.
I want to focus on this because I don’t believe in the idea of an authentic self and I want to know how anyone can find something that makes them feel this way, or at least how they can trick themselves into thinking some boring topic like writing productivity advice blogs can feel meaningful. Put this guy’s birth in 1800 and I’m sure he won’t feel any sense of loss because he can’t write anymore.