[8] What Does It Mean to “Live Well”?

1. The Many Faces of “Living Well”

At some point, everyone asks, “What is the point of living?” Sometimes that question is a weary sigh; other times, it is a desperate search for a reason and a direction.

Human beings do not simply exist as they are given. Because life happens only once, we must decide how we will live—and ultimately, we must take full responsibility for the results. That is why we don't just want to exist; we want to live well. We hope to leave behind a life lived with meaning.

To live well, we adapt to the world, and sometimes we try to reshape it to fit us. We struggle to overcome the limits of our temperament and circumstances, tasting success and failure, joy and disappointment along the way. But what does “living well” actually mean?

At its core, it means being in “the best possible state.” The challenge is that this "best state" differs for everyone. Some find it in financial abundance; others find it within the struggle of creation. Some achieve greatness yet feel empty, while others find profound happiness in an ordinary day. In the end, the standard for living well has countless faces, shaped by each individual's values.

(Listen to this soundtrack while you read to immerse yourself deeper into the reflection.)

2. Why You Shouldn’t Give Up on Finding Yourself

From a philosophical perspective, living well requires more than personal satisfaction. It asks us to consider universal values. If we chase only our private desires, conflict with others becomes inevitable. If everyone abandoned morality for personal gain, human society would devolve into a state of mere survival of the fittest.

Thus, living well is a delicate calculation. It begins with the happiness of the individual “me,” but it must expand to include the “other” and the community we share.

Yet, even with all that complex calculation, there is one standard we must never lose: being true to yourself. You cannot set a direction if you do not know who you are, nor can you fully commit to a path that fits you if you don't recognize what that path is. In a capitalist society, it often feels as if “being yourself” depends on having the financial room to breathe. Following the crowd or striving to get ahead can seem like a faster, easier path.

But wanting what everyone else wants does not make a life truly yours. A life built around your own purpose, realized in your own way, is undeniably more meaningful. Finding yourself means meeting the “me” you want to be. It is the process of doing what you truly love and coming face-to-face with a version of yourself you admire.

Of course, meeting that perfect self in reality is difficult. We often compromise and settle for the "second-best" option. And yet, we must never give up on the journey of self-discovery. Because the process of asking and answering—again and again—who we are is precisely what provides us with a reason to live and a direction that will not easily collapse.

[9] The Meaning We Give to Life

This is why we have another, surprisingly powerful option: to give meaning to our own lives. If there is no fixed meaning handed to us, we can create one. We can assign meaning to our work, our emotions, and even the smallest actions of our day.

바스락 basolock김대근 DAEGEUN KIM

Losing Your Way to Find Yourself [Book Introduction]

This book invites readers into the timeless questions that define human existence — “Who am I?”, “Why was I born?”, and “Why must I live?” For those who carry deep and restless questions, Losing Your Way to Find Yourself offers a moment of quiet contemplation — a pause between one step and the next.

바스락 basolock김대근 DAEGEUN KIM