A testament to the idea that humans find purpose when, as the poet Rumi wrote, we 'let the beauty we love be what we do.' In a world fractured by competing claims on what’s important, Goldstein offers a vision that is both intellectually resonant and humane, reminding us that the struggle to justify our existence is the very thing that makes our existence matter.
An attempt to place human self-understanding on a new footing ... As philosophy, The Mattering Instinct stands on uncertain foundations. Though 'incommensurable' means that a common standard of judgment is impossible, Ms. Goldstein eventually argues that an 'objective standard' can be applied to the varieties of human conduct. 'Mattering instinct' is used interchangeably with 'longing to matter,' but they are different.
