
Ikigai is often touted as the Japanese philosophy for finding your purpose, expressed through a colorful Venn diagram that helps you explore the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
But what if I told you this was a lie?
The first lie: Ikigai isn’t a deep philosophy about purpose, it’s a simple word that’s rarely used in Japan in casual conversation.
The second lie: Ikigai has nothing to do with finding a lofty life purpose or figuring out what you can be paid for.
Instead, the true meaning of Ikigai is a feeling — a sense that life is worth living, rooted in the small daily joys and experiences that make you think, “Damn! It’s good to be alive.”
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