Ikigai, A Japanese concept meaning "reason for being"

[Paula]

I like this diagram because it shows where I am succeeding and where I need work in such a simple way.

[wolf]

great concept (tool) for further inspirations. thank you for sharing!

[pukingRainbows]

Interesting!
And useful to analyze and understand where you might currently be on the diagram and then what you might still need.
Thank you for sharing.

[7Wannabe5]

Very cool. I would note that this is a diagram that would have to be periodically revisited, because change could occur in any of these quadrants. Some examples would be gifted athlete who shatters his knee, blacksmith in early 20th century, individual whose core Truth alters at mid-life, and art teacher in district that eliminates program due to declining tax base. I feel lucky because I have been in the Ikigai core at times in my life, but I clearly have not yet mastered the art of predicting and managing change in a manner fluid enough to keep me there most of the time.

[Fish]

I’m not impressed by most infographics (including this one) but the main idea here appears to be that there are 4 “needs” roughly corresponding to the main personality types of MBTI: money (SJ), enjoyment (SP), purpose (NF), and mastery (NT). Depending on preference one’s ideal balance may be skewed, but participating in activities that supply all 4 needs should lead to a sense of satisfaction if not fulfillment. Interesting presentation but does not yield any new insight with this interpretation.

[jacob]

I find the triple intersections (the one's explained by text) the most interesting. They're easily described by being the combo of the double-interaction minus the opposite side. For example, "Satisfaction but feeling of uselessness" is diametrically opposite to "what the world needs".

I think if you chose your work at least semi-well, you'd be in the triple-intersections dancing around the center of Ikigai.

If I had to describe the four different things I've spent the most time (years of my life) on by now, then (in order of appearance):

1) physics: "satisfaction but feeling of uselessness" ... describes it pretty well. That is, there was satisfaction for a good many years, but it was eventually replaced with a feeling of uselessness, since neutron stars obviously is pretty far from what the world needs. At my final physics job, there was an intro-week for new hires (this was a BIG place); and one of the big-wigs mentioned that he [former scientist] went into administration because he no longer wanted to work on things that were only interesting to 5 people in the world. That quote stuck with me even if I didn't "get it" at the time.

2) writing ERE: "delight and fullness, but no wealth" ... this does also to some extent describe the first two decades of an academic career, but it applies to most blogging or at least blogging out in the left field. "No wealth" definitely applied initially. If I hadn't written a useful book, "no wealth" would still apply. ERE's website income ex ERE book is about $2,000/year, but with the book it's about $35k. Even if that money is strictly not needed, it's still nice that people are willing to

3) finance: "comfortable, but feelings of emptiness" ... my first so-called "real full-time job". It certainly felt like easy-work (compared to the two above) and I think this is where most people ultimately end up once they get an #adulting career. It was comfortable and convenient. Therefore, by extension, there was little desire to "strive" or make chances. It was impossible by construction to develop a vision of what could be because of the framework of fitting into a structure.

4) writing again: "excitement and complacency, but a sense of uncertainty" ... I think mainly because I'm now in the "what the world needs" sphere but also because I've been here [writing] before, so there's not a sense of rush. Also, noting that this is diametrically opposite to "what you're good at" and having written a best-seller (relatively speaking), I have a tendency to worry that I must but can't top the previous work.

As for reaching the holy grail in the middle, that hasn't happened.

[Campitor]

It seems that if you live in the present and adhere to stoic principles, Ikigai is realized. Sometimes I think these types of diagrams are trying to perpetuate the idea of perfection. To a stoic perfection doesn't exist - self improvement is the challenge therefore perfection isn't a goal to strive for - to reach perfection is to stop living.

[luxagraf]

The things I love and am good at consist of reading books, drinking beer, eating good food, and enjoying nice weather and landscapes. I think the rest of the world needs to come to a collective realization that they need me to do that, and then pay me for it too.

Kind of tangential to the infographic, but what you've written here is basically what people think Anthony Bourdain does for a living. So in a sense you actually can get people to pay you to do that, you just have to get really good at telling the story of it, which happens to take so much work that very few people are willing to do it.

[7Wannabe5]

@jacob: I would think since you did make more than 1Jacob money with the ERE book then that work would be in the Ikigai center. I never made very much money as a rare book dealer, but for a few years I did make more than "enough" for me, so that felt like Ikigai.

@Augustus: You might be a bit "eyes bigger than belly" on your ability to enjoy pure receptive mode. For instance, a friend of my DD26 resolved to read 104 worthwhile books last year, and she was surprised to discover that at some point in the process she felt a strong inclination to stop reading and start writing. When I was the inventory manager at a very large bookstore, I was constantly reading new releases, and because I was compelled to talk about what I was reading, I gained a reputation for being the go-to person for recommendations. I am firmly convinced that doing anything that vaguely resembles work within any sort of social sphere will eventually lead to at least a tiny trickle of money or goods-in-kind coming your way. However, it won't feel like Ikigai if it is not "enough" money and you do not have any other streams of income.

[Farm_or]

It seems to me that this type of pursuit is akin to consumerism.

I've had certain goals in my life that during the identifying stage and leading up to the destination were feelings of "perfectness". But after the realization of said goal, it either gets old or life beats you over the head with it until you tire of it.

So you start thinking, " the Next thing! That's the shit! I'm sure of it this time! " It's the same trap that I've come to recognize in others so commonly, or at least appears to be?

Living is striving and continuing. I think it is more natural to have some insatiable desire than to exist in perpetual peace. A balance of doing and being.

[jacob]

@jacob: I would think since you did make more than 1Jacob money with the ERE book then that work would be in the Ikigai center.

Yes, except that money was made after I wrote it. The feeling of meaning seems to be associated with the present process of living, not past life already lived.

[Campitor]

You've hit the nail on the head imho. Ikigai, as I've conceptualized it per the diagram provided, implies action. You cannot attain Ikigai like you cannot attain "running". Either you're in the active mode of running or you're not. To start walking is to stop running. To stop improving/striving is to stop Ikigai.

[7Wannabe5]

I disagree somewhat. I think the need for perpetual striving only applies if the Love part of the diagram is misinterpreted as Infatuation. Goddess knows, I am subject to infatuation, but Love endures. For example, I still loved Books even in the moments I didn't love doing data entry or hauling around boxes when I was actively engaged in my business. When a customer somewhere on the other side of the planet would write me a note thanking me for selling them a rare book they had been hunting for many years, because it held some particular value to to him, that was Ikegai, because we were sharing the Love.

[Farm_or]

@7wb5 Interesting observation - as usual. The evolution of understanding continues.

@jacob- Are you fishing for ideas of your next literary contribution? That would make an interesting thread.

I'm gonna throw one out: "Analysis of the Failings of Academia".

[jacob]

@Farm_or - Haha, thanks for the offer, but I don't take requests.

[Campitor]

I disagree somewhat. I think the need for perpetual striving only applies if the Love part of the diagram is misinterpreted as Infatuation. Goddess knows, I am subject to infatuation, but Love endures. For example, I still loved Books even in the moments I didn't love doing data entry or hauling around boxes when I was actively engaged in my business. When a customer somewhere on the other side of the planet would write me a note thanking me for selling them a rare book they had been hunting for many years, because it held some particular value to to him, that was Ikegai, because we were sharing the Love.

Good point so let me clarify. The love you shared with your customer required action on both your parts - he needed to write the letter and you needed to provide the book. There would have been no love shared if there had been no action. If you stopped selling books, and he stopped writing letters, would there be any love to share in the present? Your cherished memory of what was shared by your mutual exchange is in the past and it's only in the act of remembering that the love is rekindled as a fond recollection.

Love requires action - it's not a state of being but a state of action. Striving to love is not striving toward an infatuation or putting someone on a pedestal in my view. Striving to love means asking myself if the actions I'm taking to express my love effective in conveying my respect, admiration, and affection; I then make modifications as needed if I'm subpar; this is the striving.

Not to beat an analogy to death but Love is like being fit - it requires constant deliberate action to maintain. There may be objective/subjective criteria to declare a state of fitness but attaining/maintaining fitness requires consistent output of effort. And later on you might want to realize a different form of fitness such as being a power lifter versus being an ultra-marathon runner.

It's only in action that Ikigai is attained and created. Stopping doing what is required to love and you stop loving. Stop "striving" and you stop Ikigai.

[daylen]

@Campitor I like your perspective on Ikigai and its analogy to love. Thanks for sharing.

I think I can potentially achieve Ikigai in the future, though currently I feel like I am in the "delight and fullness, but no wealth" category if I aggregate my activities together. I also like 7w5 perspective on how money and resources will eventually come your way if you put yourself in a position that adds value.

[7Wannabe5]

Love requires action - it's not a state of being but a state of action.

I understand what you are conveying, but I would say that Love is both a state of being and a state of action. It is a state of being when you are strong in your feminine energy: open, warm, relaxed, receptive. It is a state of action when you are in your masculine energy; striving, directed, insistent, deliberate. Since, we have been discussing Ikigai in the sense of something like "right livelihood", you are correct to assume realm of masculine energy. However, when I was thinking about the word Love in isolation, separated from competence ("good at") and wealth, the feminine energy version of Love is what occurred to me. In fact, I was thinking if my ex throwing me some financial support could count as fulfilling the "paid for" circle, breastfeeding was a pretty solid "reason for being" activity for me -lol (especially since I was pretty skilled at holding a baby with one hand and a book with the other.)

[Farm_or]

"Love is a verb." This brings back the story of my friend's last moments with his wife as she was dying from breast cancer.

She cried as she related how much she loved him for being with her. And she told him that she regretted not doing more for him when she was able bodied.

He told me that love is action. He explained his perspectives and that it was not something mystical or abstract. It was a heart wrenching story. Very impactful, and it regularly reminded me to do my very best particularly for loved ones. But I thought about it for years afterwards. I think he got it half right?

[Paula]

It seems that if you live in the present and adhere to stoic principles, Ikigai is realized. Sometimes I think these types of diagrams are trying to perpetuate the idea of perfection. To a stoic perfection doesn't exist - self improvement is the challenge therefore perfection isn't a goal to strive for - to reach perfection is to stop living.

+1

I've had a few promotions that where initially a cause for celebration but ended up leaving me comfortable but empty. I also had an unexpected change that left me feeling surprisingly satisfied but somewhat useless. This little chart suggests ways to act on those common negative feelings.

It may be more useful for those who are closer to retirement as they have more control over what they do.