We often ask ourselves, What is life all about? How can I truly flourish? In the pursuit of success, many of us find ourselves chasing external metrics—wealth, status, achievement—only to feel more disconnected.
Akhil Gupta, former founding chairman of Blackstone India and now a deep explorer of human well-being, argues that the path to a meaningful life isn’t complicated; it’s a return to what we already are.
In his recent Forbes Books article, “The Path To Human Flourishing: Returning To What We Already Are,” Gupta shares a profound insight: human flourishing is not masked in complexity, but is present in the simplest longings of our nature: Love, Learn, and Play (LLP).
Drawing on his personal journey (including academic study at Harvard, MIT, and Yale) and his observations of uncorrupted human nature, Gupta reveals how society’s “false narratives” and the pursuit of means (like money and power) over true ends lead us astray. The key, he reminds us, is simply to consciously re-engage the innate, “triple helix” impulses of LLP that we knew as children.
If you are looking for a clear, accessible philosophy to reclaim your authentic self and live consciously, this concept is a must-read.
P.S. Accessibility Note: For those who want to dive deeper into Akhil Gupta’s insights, his previous book, Bridges Across Humanity, is currently available in the Kindle edition for just $1.00!
