In our modern quest for happiness, we often treat it as the ultimate goal—a prize waiting at the end of life’s journey. Books, podcasts, and motivational speakers eagerly promise the secret formula to attain and sustain this elusive state. The message is clear: if only we were happy, everything else would fall into place.

But as Sean Carroll explores in The Big Picture, this view is limiting. Imagine, he suggests, a drug that could make you perfectly happy—unshakably content. There’s a catch: it would also strip you of any drive to aspire, create, or explore. Your life would become an endless loop of blissful but meaningless existence. Would you take it?

The thought experiment forces us to confront a deeper truth: happiness isn’t life’s defining feature. Consider individuals like Socrates, Gandhi, Mandela, or great creators like Beethoven and Virginia Woolf. They may have experienced moments of happiness, but that’s not why we revere them. What made their lives extraordinary wasn’t their joy but the richness of their struggles, the depth of their purpose, and the profound contributions they made to the world.

As Carroll emphasizes, life isn’t about reaching a static state of perfection. It’s a process—a constant flow of change, growth, and transformation. This is where the distinction between two types of meaning—synchronic and diachronic—becomes crucial.

Synchronic meaning is tied to a single moment in time. You feel joy because you’re sitting by the ocean or enjoying a perfect meal. It’s fleeting, a snapshot of happiness in the present.

Diachronic meaning, on the other hand, comes from the long arc of your life’s journey. It’s the sense of purpose derived from progress—working toward a goal, overcoming obstacles, or building a meaningful life.

Carroll’s exploration of ontology—the study of being—encourages us to lean into this diachronic meaning. Life isn’t about finding a permanent state of happiness but about embracing its ever-changing nature. By focusing on growth, learning, and contributing to something larger than ourselves, we uncover a deeper, more enduring sense of fulfillment.

At the end of life, we won’t measure its worth by the number of happy moments we collected. Instead, we’ll reflect on the richness of our story—the struggles we faced, the connections we nurtured, and the purpose we lived for.

Happiness is not the destination; it’s the companion we meet along the way. As The Big Picture reminds us, what truly matters is not how often we smiled but how deeply we lived. So, let’s aim higher than happiness—toward meaning, growth, and a life well-lived. After all, wouldn’t you rather have a remarkable story to tell?