Older, but no wiser

My only purpose is to provide for my family.

I’ve been mulling that one over, and I can’t argue with the empirical truth of that statement. Not my primary purpose; my only purpose. All my behaviour reflects that. It does, after all, have a sound evolutionary basis – ensuring the continuing success of my DNA. Everything else is incidental. I might wish it were otherwise, but that’s the way it is.

But suppose, just as a way of opening up thought processes which otherwise remain closed, suppose I didn’t have a family? What would my purpose be then?

I can barely comprehend the question.