I know that Jean-Paul Sartre never actually said “To do is to be.” That attribution is found within a piece of graffiti described in Kurt Vonnegut’s 1982 novel Deadeye Dick.
That particular grafitto has a long and illustrious history. It went through many stages of evolution over time, and has a fascinating provenance.
But that’s not the topic of today’s post. Instead, I would like to focus on those actual five words “To do is to be.”
Personally, I find that life seems to have more meaning for me when I am engaged in what feels like a productive creative task. If I am making something, and I believe that it is new and worthwhile, then everything makes sense.
When I am not doing that, it feels as though I am mainly treading water. I can only enjoy things passively for so long. Then at some point I just have to create something.
I can’t say for sure that this is a healthy way to live. But it sure is productive.