As I become older and more aware of the world around me, one particularly constant concern to 
me has been my search for meaning in life, a sense of striving for purpose in the world. 
	I've always been a deep thinker, eager to tackle staggering problems of philosophy and quick to 
question the generally accepted tenets of modern society. Unfortunately, all these mind-boggling 
paradoxes of divinity and revolutions of societal motivations has never led me to a clear resolution 
which I can cleanly apply to my own life – until recently. It was a brief study into anthropology that 
lead me to the realization that mankind is simply a species of animals. This was not a kindergarten fact 
I had stumbled upon for the first time but rather an attempt to get back to the basics. All animals have 
one purpose in life – the preservation and furthering of their own species. This can take affect on a 
singular level with simply reproduction or on a societal level with pack leadership, but the concern 
remains the same – stay alive, and create more of your own kind if possible. 
	It is this basic principle that today guides mankind. Yes, we do mate and reproduce our own, but 
we also take vast and sometimes violent steps in preserving our own kind. Throughout history, empires 
have attempted to expand their view of life through the forced spread of their own beliefs. We saw it 
with Constantine and the rise of Christianity just as we saw with early Americans and their calls for 
manifest destiny. With each new belief, the tenets lie in the goal of improving society by enforcing new 
beliefs and excluding those that are seen as detrimental. Humans, in their creating of government and 
religion, are simply attempting to further their respective societies through the introduction of 
supposedly righteous beliefs.
	It was this revelation of the minimalist motivations of all humans that led me to question how 
this applies to life as a whole. I came to realize that each of these movements, no matter how cruel or 
flawed they appear now, were simply attempting to better their respective society by conquering more 
resources and subsequently gaining more power. The path to peace and prosperity for all of mankind as 
a whole lies in shifting our focus of preservation from our singular to society to our species in general. 
If everyone acted based on the best interests of mankind and not just the short-term goals of their 
prospective nations, the world would be a much greater place. Wars and poverty would be thrown out 
the window as mankind as a whole bonds together to improve and expand humanity.
	Today, this is the philosophy I live by. As I ready for college, I think about the best way I can 
use my unique talents and abilities to help mankind. My life fulfilled would consist of furthering 
humanity, even by the smallest amount. Only then could I claim to have done good in the world.

(Ian Gibson)