Why You Must Stop Asking Yourself “What’s the Point?”

You’re limiting your joy when you do so.

When you turn to Google and enter, “What’s the point,” you’re greeted by two variations of the question.

On one hand, you have the general fact-finding variety. Questions such as:

What’s the point of:

• Minecraft?
• Curling?
• NFT?

On the other, what’s the point can be asked from an existential, rhetorical, or self-affirming perspective. You’ll find questions such as:

What’s the point of:

• Trying?
• Life?
• Living?

While this version of the question isn’t always as heavy as contemplating the point of living, it’s a question that can limit our life experiences and, ultimately, our joy. When we ask what’s the point in this manner, we are most often throwing our hands in the air declaring we’re done.

Often times we declare we’re done before we even try.

If you regularly find yourself asking “what’s the point,” I believe you need to attack this narrative and rid it from your mind. Doing so can open doors and help you experience life in a more rich, joyful manner.

The danger of asking, “What’s the point?”

To demonstrate the dangers of asking this question, let’s take a look at a few hypothetical scenarios from history.

Where would we be if Elon Musk asked, “What’s the point of going to Mars?” when staring down the challenges of creating SpaceX?

What would life look like today if Rosa Parks, when faced with the decision to yield her seat or hold firm, asked herself, “What’s the point of making a stand?”

When America was under British rule, what would have happened if our forefathers asked, “What’s the point of trying to fight for independence?”

Asking what’s the point is the equivalent of throwing your hands in the air and choosing inaction over action. When you choose inaction, you choose to live in a state of paralysis. This state could very well take you down a further spiral of what’s the point questions. Questions like:

What’s the point of life?

What’s the point of living?

The further down this path you go, the further you welcome fear and self-doubt into your life. Where there is fear and self-doubt, there is a life devoid of new, rich experiences, and an overall lack of joy.

Asking yourself what’s the point is a dangerous game, one that you best stop playing.

Experience life and find joy by not caring about the “point.”

I’m here to argue that when you stop caring about the “point,” you begin living. When we focus on the point of something we’re usually focused on our fears and anxieties. Fear and anxiety create a state of paralysis, a state of inaction over action.

Let’s look further at the question, “what’s the point of (even) trying?”

Say you asked this question because you dream of becoming a writer, but you have a plethora of anxieties. Your worries may include:

• You’re afraid that nobody will like your work.
• You doubt your literary abilities, especially when compared to others.
• You’re not sure you have enough to write about.
• The idea of starting a blog in and of itself is daunting.

Person A may have these worries, ask themselves, “what’s the point of trying?” and the story ends there.

Person B may acknowledge their worries, not dwell on the point of trying, and give it a go. They throw caution to the wind, they put their voice out there, they slowly grow their following, they begin making some money.

The story goes on.

Yes, Person B may only find writing to be a hobby, never truly achieving their dream of becoming an influential writer. However, they may become the next Zulie Rane or Tim Denning, growing a massive following and influencing the lives of others.

Even if Person B only finds a new hobby in writing, they’re going to uncover other life experiences and joys along the way, such as:

• Developing their voice and literary abilities that directly impact another area of their life.
• Creating deep relationships with their readers who appreciate their perspective.
• Finding peace by taking what’s on their mind and sharing it with the rest of the world.
• Discovering a community they would not have found if it wasn’t for writing.

Person A’s story ended before it ever began. They looked at their anxieties and worries, asked “what’s the point?”, and shuffled on with life.

On the other hand, Person B looked at their anxieties and worries, said screw it, and forged ahead. By doing so they experienced new areas of life and found joy, even if the outcome was smaller than they dreamt.

Person B gave themselves a chance, and by taking a chance they’re happier for it; the point be damned.

I’ve been both Person A and Person B. I’ve found myself succumbing to my doubts and anxieties, asking what’s the point, and shuffling along in life.

Recently I’ve focused on being Person B, my Medium journey being evidence of that. In the past I was overwhelmed by the idea of: starting a blog, sharing my ideas, and being vulnerable. I finally threw caution to the wind, stopped worrying about “the point,” and gave writing a go.

I’m experiencing life on a new level and I’m happier for it.

My challenge to you: start facing the question what’s the point head-on. It’s a question that’s holding you back, it’s paralyzing you from taking action and finding your joy.

Yes, you’ll have to put yourself out there.

You’ll have to be vulnerable.

You’ll make mistakes.

But you’ll also give yourself a chance at realizing your dreams, dreams that, if left unpursued, will turn into nightmares.

Even if you don’t realize your dreams, you’ll realize things about yourself and about this life that would have been impossible without taking the chance.

And sometimes a chance is all we need to experience joy.

The point be damned.

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