Ikigai (Eastern and Western)

A few Eastern interpretations, all preceding the "western" interpretation, are described at the Japanese Wikipedia page [生き甲斐 |https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/E7949FE3818DE794B2E69690]. Please read the overview section, using a translation tool if needed.

Western Interpretation

Generally "Ikigai" is taken to be the presence of four things all at the same time:

I am doing something that takes advantage of my strengths.

I am doing something I am passionate about (or "enjoy")

I am doing something that the world needs.

I am doing somethingthat I am paid for.

A 4-way Euler diagram (and usually not a Venn diagram) is used to illustrate the need for all four to be present in order to manifest Ikigai, as seen in the English Wikipedia article.

The SMW Version of Ikigai

In a 2024 open letter to the community (men and women), the Sterling Institute of Relationship described a leader (Bill Reeves) who was severely ill at the time, thus:

Bill personifies the very essence of success, as defined during the Men's Weekend: Doing one thing better than other men for which men will seek you out, pay you respect, admiration, position in the male hierarchy, power and resources.

In this definition of "success" are all four elements of Ikigai: strength (doing something better than other men [do]), value to others (men will seek you out), passion (implicitly in "respect" and "admiration"), and mundane selfish value (implicitly in "power and resources").

This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2025 Dec 27.

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