Alan Watts and the Art of Being Present in a World Obsessed with Outcomes
“Journey” is one of those words that seems to offer hope, purpose, and direction. But what if we’ve been using it all wrong?
Alan Watts, the brilliant British philosopher, challenges the traditional idea of a journey as a straight road to a final goal. In his words, “journey” implies a linear progression with a specific destination or goal, whereas life is more like a dance or a piece of music. This poetic insight reveals something many of us miss: life isn’t a straight line — it’s a flow.
Think about a song. We don’t listen just to get to the last note. The pauses, the tempo changes, the unpredictable harmonies — that’s what moves us. Similarly, dancing isn’t about getting somewhere. It’s about the rhythm, the connection, the now.
Watts elaborates on this metaphor: “It is significant not because it means something other than itself, but because it is so satisfying as it is.” This flips our default mindset. Instead of measuring success by what’s achieved at the end, Watts suggests we immerse in each step, each breath, each experience.
This “journey” is not about crossing a finish line. It’s about losing yourself in the run itself.
Throughout history, many have tried to define life’s meaning through goals: careers, love, religion, personal transformation. Tim Ferriss compares destiny to an ice sculpture, saying it’s not about revealing a pre-formed inner being but about creating meaning through action. Krishna Das adds to the conversation, describing how chanting uncovers layers of the self — again pointing to a process rather than a fixed result.
But when we fixate too hard on what we’re “meant” to be, we often fall into dogmas. The belief in a predestined self, Watts warns, can lead to rigidity and even fundamentalism. From religious absolutes to modern self-help absolutism, the idea that there’s a single “correct” path fuels division and discontent.
What if, instead, the journey is not about finding the right path — but about how we walk whatever path we’re on?
Watts resists tidy conclusions. He questions whether even love can satisfy our existential hunger if it becomes just another vague answer to an unspoken question. “Significance is the quality of a state of mind,” he insists. That means meaning isn’t hidden in a grand finale. It’s in the caterpillars sliding from rooftops, the peeling paint of a door, the mud and stone beneath our feet.
We chase fulfillment like it’s somewhere else — but maybe it’s right here, disguised as an ordinary moment.
Alan Watts reminds us that we’re often so obsessed with reaching “the destination” that we miss the wonder of the path we’re on. The truth is, life is not a problem to be solved or a test to pass — it’s a piece of music to be heard, a dance to be felt. The journey isn’t leading you somewhere else. It is the somewhere. The art of life, then, is learning to stay in tune with each note as it’s played.
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/dCDQUtWO9Kg?si=DW_8SCwRsCrTRZw4
- https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/alan-watts-meaning/
- https://app.pictory.ai/
- https://chatgpt.com/
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