What do you mean, "Telos"?

"If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable." - Seneca

Telos is a Greek word meaning the end, purpose, or fulfillment of a thing. If you are on a sports team, your telos as a team may be to win the championship. Or perhaps your weekly potluck dinner with your neighbors has a telos of deepening your relationships with the community around you.

Generations of philosophers and theologians have invested their lives in seeking to understand the telos of things both great and small. As the first question of the Westminster Catechism put it, “What is the chief end of man?” They did this because they understood that everything in life flows outward from one’s telos – the decisions you make will normally reflect what you consider to be the purpose of your life. If you believe your purpose is to enjoy yourself as much as possible, you will engage in very different behavior than if you believe it to be disciplining yourself.

Most people could not define their telos. Even if they could give a general answer, such as “being kind to others”, they may find it difficult to connect that end to their everyday lives. Usually, they will find it easier to avoid thinking about it at all, marking the question as one of those esoteric concepts they do not have time for. I suggest that in the absence of considering the question for yourself, you will have an answer given to you.

At one time this giving may not have been an issue, as deep communities and strong families often communicated a telos that led to sacrificially caring for those around you and being cared for in turn. Today, a culture fixated on “being true to yourself” and “you do you” has eroded these bonds which preserved a healthy society but has never provided an answer for how one is to figure out what “you” really are and what it  means to be true to that “you.”

I would suggest that the dissolution of traditional structures for answering this question has not left us more free but rather has left us exposed to impersonal forces that would love nothing more than to define the purpose for which we exist. This is not some grand conspiracy orchestrated by a secretive cabal but instead the effect of a confluence of technological advancement, cultural idiosyncrasies, and human nature.

Perhaps the most pernicious telos being promoted is that humans are fundamentally consumers, that our greatest need is to see, eat, and have more everything. This story is communicated in a thousand ways, both explicitly (such as relentless ads for food on television) and implicitly (infinitely scrollable social media feeds). It is expressed in the expectation that we will be informed about current events around the country, or even the world, and also in the speed at which those events are replaced in the public eye by the next.

This overconsumption leads to a malaise of helplessness as people are too busy reacting to events deemed important by the algorithm which they cannot impact to engage in those less noteworthy things they could. This story entraps people in a cycle of nonstop labor and acquisition by always dangling the promise of the “good life” with just a bit more.

Perhaps you know deep down that this cannot be your purpose. You see how this is making people, communities, and nations sick. Yet how do you break the cycle? You need a new telos.

What’s old is new again

Before I propose a new answer, I want to add a couple disclaimers: I make no bones about the fact that my answers are shaped by Christian thinking, largely from the Reformed Protestant space. I will not be so bold as to claim that my answers are definitively biblical as, like the rest of humanity, I am a person rooted in a certain place and time, and so naturally possess blind spots, imperfections, and contradictions. Despite this, I believe these answers to be tied to reality, so you need not accept these presuppositions to find some benefit for your own life. If they do not seem useful to you, feel free to move on. You certainly do not need to accept my principles to work with me!

The telos I propose says that we are not the product of random chance, but were created for a purpose, namely “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” While this purpose has many outworkings, I am going to limit this article to the ergonomic: rather than merely existing to consume, forever trapped on the hedonic treadmill, we are made to join in God’s work in this world as loving stewards of creation.

This definition of our purpose can be broken into two parts: (1) loving others through sacrificial service, and (2) gratefully caring for the creation God has entrusted to us.

Loving others

Loving, sacrificial service not mean the same as “the customer is always right.” It means that whatever you do ought to be done for others and not for yourself. It means working hard as an employee and honoring your employer. It means charging your customers fairly and telling them the truth rather than convenient lies. It means treating your employees fairly and helping them make a living. It means balancing your economic vocation with your other callings as a member of your family, community, church, and nation.

The natural response to this idea is defensive: what if you end up pouring yourself out and one day find you’re empty with nothing left to give? The first reply is to point out that God has already poured far more out for you than you could ever give in response. Secondarily, when you make sacrifices for others not to earn their acclamation or a quid pro quo, you will usually find they will treat you well in return. This is a general principle and not an absolute rule, of course – there will always be those who abuse and take from others without a return.

Stewardship

When I was a child, my parents always emphasized the importance of leaving a place better than you found it. While good manners when visiting a friend’s house, this principle also serves well as a description of our duty as stewards of the creation around us. We ought to leave the world a healthier, more productive place than when we found it.

We do not choose the times, places, or families into which we are born, nor can we take them with us when we depart. During our time on this earth, we enjoy the benefits of them, and we ought to make a grateful return as well.

This can mean taking care of the land, yes, but it also applies to towns, churches, associations, and businesses. Do we go about our work in all areas of our lives with an eye to leaving things stronger than they were before? Or are we content to extract from the surplus of the work of others, letting creation wither as we extract our piece for our few, short days?

Conclusion

This telos, if accepted, must banish laziness from our hands as there is too much service to be done for others. Yet it also speaks against the relentless striving of hustle culture that demands we burn everything in our lives on the altar of career and personal optimization.

It frees us from the slavery of consumption that always demands more without requiring a monastic rejection of the goodness of creation. It simultaneously resists a godless economic machine that seeks to suck the pith and marrow out of every resource, community, and institution in the name of profit and opposes neo-pagan environmentalism that views humanity as a curse.

If you’re tired of chasing our culture’s vision of the good life that seems increasingly out of reach, maybe it’s time you tell a new story about yourself. The best part of this vision is that it can start with you today. While it may be easier to carry on in a like-minded community, you don’t need to move. Instead, start sowing seeds where you are today. Consider how you can serve others better as an employee or employer. Volunteer in your church or local community. Even greeting others with a smile so they know you see them as someone worthy of respect can make a difference.

Telos Tax & Accounting

I chose to put Telos in my firm’s name to remind myself every day that it exists to help others achieve their purpose. While it would be easy to focus on making clients happy by minimizing their return each year, I prefer to work on maximizing tax savings while balancing long-term considerations and objectives to serve your best interests.

If you want to talk about how I can help you with your taxes, or even if you just want to talk about how a renewed telos could reshape your life, I’m happy to jump on a call. Just fill out the form on my contact page to get started!

The information provided on this blog is for general educational purposes only and should not be taken as tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax situations vary, and you should consult a qualified tax professional for guidance specific to your circumstances.