I often ask myself: “Why would you do that?”, or “Why would they do that?” I sometimes ask of other people: “Why would you do that?” And I really mean it. I do not ask it with the intention of being demeaning or condescending. It seems to me that how people behave is fundamentally linked to their ultimate ideal, the absence of which may lead to chaos.
Under the assumption that human beings are rational agents (a questionable assumption if you ask me) it would seem that behaviour is linked to goals. Behaviour should be of such a nature that it moves you closer to, rather than farther away from, your goals. As far as I can tell, short term goals inform immediate behaviour; medium-term goals inform short-term goals; and long-term goals inform medium-term goals.
This suggests that without a sufficiently clear long-term goal, or ultimate ideal, there is no basis on which to form medium-term goals, short-term goals, and ultimately leaves you with no basis on which to form any logical or meaningful immediate behaviour.
It is my opinion that, in the absence of a meaningful ultimate ideal, immediate behaviour will be informed by superficial and impulsive baser desires and instincts. The need to feel important, for attention, and for sexual satisfaction are examples of this. These desires then constitute what would be considered your short-term goals. However, they will have been based not on medium-term goals, but rather will have immersed from some instinctual need.
Once the ultimate ideal is identified, any preceding objectives necessary to attaining the ultimate ideal can be identified. By starting from the ultimate ideal and working your way through the necessary objectives down to the short-term goals, you will have provided yourself with a wealth of information on which to base meaningful and logical behaviour.
With this reasoning in mind I conclude that someone who presents behaviour that seems to have no purpose most likely lacks a clear ultimate ideal.
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