Ikigai: A Japanese Concept About The Meaning Of Life
If we talk about human needs, Maslow’s pyramid probably comes to mind, whose theory is the best known of those dealing with positive psychology and the search for happiness and personal satisfaction. But it’s not the only one.
In addition to this, there are multiple perspectives, including philosophical ones, that address the topic. Some of them come from the East, specifically from popular wisdom and Japanese culture. For them, one of the main needs and at the same time one of the main keys to achieving happiness (although it does not imply or is necessarily synonymous with it) is to find our ikigai or reason for being
Within Japanese popular culture, ikigai is understood as that element that is our reason for being in the world, the motivation that drives us to act and live. It is about seeking and recognizing one’s place in the world, which makes our life worthwhile.
It is important to keep in mind that ikigai is not identified with happiness, although knowing it makes it easier to be so. And ikigai allows us to look towards the future with hope with the certainty that We are doing what we believe we came into the world to do Ikigai is linked to self-realization and is something intrinsic and spontaneous, which means that our actions are not experienced as imposed by society or the world but carried out with pleasure and that cause us satisfaction in and of themselves.
This vital sense is also something related to the workplace, our occupation, and how our interests interact with the world. In this way, the meaning of our life is also linked not only to our being but also to what happens in the world in which we move. It is not only intrinsic but also extrinsic.
Now, it is important to keep in mind that it is not enough to identify our vital purpose or purposes, but it is also necessary that we set out to achieve it. It is about seeking and exercising this purpose in order to have a full life. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that this purpose does not have to be stable. It can be an element that varies throughout life. It must also be taken into account that it includes and requires both a component of self-actualization and one of commitment with the role or the people who are part of it.
How to identify it?
Ikigai can be found at the confluence of what we love, what we are good at, what we can get paid for, and what the world needs. These aspects can be related in different ways, but it is difficult to perceive that we are dealing with our reason for existing if there is no balance.
The interaction between what we love and what we are good at is our passion, which in turn converges with our profession (which arises from the confluence between what we are good at and what we are paid for) gives us great satisfaction However, we perceive it as useless unless it is connected to what the world needs.
The interaction between what the world needs and what they can pay us for allows us to find our vocation, which if in turn is related to our profession generates comfort but the feeling of existential emptiness if it is not linked to our interests and what we love. .
On the other hand, what the world needs and what we love come together in what we understand by our mission. If our mission and our passion coincide we will feel fulfilled and enjoy ourselves, but we cannot achieve a position and maintain ourselves if it is not combined with what we can be paid for. If mission and vocation are in relationship, we will be faced with something that will excite us and it will make us feel that we are doing a useful task, but if we are not dealing with something we are good at, we will be insecure and uncertain about our actions.
In conclusion, a perfect balance between the different elements mentioned is required to achieve and identify our ikigai. It is about seeking to ensure that our vocation, profession, mission and passion coincide in one or more themes or aspects, in such a way that it becomes a central element in our life. This allows us to be in tune with what we come into the world to do and to be more authentic, natural and connected to ourselves.
That said, it may seem like it is something very difficult to identify. However, the truth is that on many occasions and for a large number of people, it is knowledge that they already possess to some degree and that they can find in the most obvious and natural. The problem is that it is often mutilated, sublimated or distorted by elements such as social desirability, the search for stability and security and the lack of reflection on what we truly consider important.
A Japanese philosophy of life with many advantages
Taking into account ikigai or vital sense can have great repercussions at the lifestyle level or even reduce the risk of different diseases. Not in vain, some of the regions with the greatest longevity on the planet are in Japan, and this type of concept could be one of the possible facilitators of this.
In this sense, in areas such as Okinawa, it has been observed, for example, that the number of cardiovascular problems and even cancer are less frequent, and their evolution. We must take into account that it has been observed that aspects such as hostility and competitiveness (typical of a type A personality) facilitate the first, just as type C personalities that inhibit the expression of negative emotions are more predisposed to suffering from cancer.
It is also common for them to experience lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression, because an attitude in accordance with what we consider our vital goals and our meaning in the world facilitates a contemplation of our daily lives as something more positive. They can have a more committed and freer life, something that influences a wide variety of areas of life.
