Find myself and others around me asking this question over and over. Its a variation of the whats the point of existence question I suppose. Try to answer it and there are obstracles. If you say for money - then it become why do you need it? - sustinence, family, enjoyment,future etc... But at what point do you draw the line between the need for money and the time to enjoy the fruits of your labour so to speak. Is there a point of providing for the family but not realy being a part of that family as you are never realy present in the household? Is it too soon to be asking these questions? i.e. when we don't have families etc. should we just work so that we may work less later - but what about your loved ones now are they not as important as when you have a family? And can you slow down or stop later if you become a workaholic now?Another answer might be - it is expected of us...we are expected to study to a certain level and get a "good" job etc - especially in our societies its about studying to college and getting a professional type of job. Then individually too there are expectations from your parents etc to make something of yourself/ help out siblings other family members/ other comitments - we do things to fulfil these expectations - but do they always make you happy. Even if you think you are doing something you wanted to, is it realy what you wanted to do or something that was sort of drummed into your head till you though that was what you wanted. Think about it a lot of people at A/L college level say they want to be doctors and engineers and such - do they all realy want to do that or they have been conditioned to think they do. There is also the expectation to do something because you are good at it. You might be an allrounder type who wants to try something else (possibly diverging from your "set" path) but you are realy good at what you have been doing so you are expected to go further along that path than diverge.
Then there is the answer that you enjoy or want to do what it is that you are doing/plan to do. Do you put everything into your work/study because you love it ignoring all around? (and because may have to to do it well). Is it possible to suddenly not like it? (I'd say so when I see people question what they are doing when a year or few months before they were saying the reverse.) What if you are doing what you love but it clashes with the other answers (ie it doesn't realy bring in much money or isn't what was expected of you). What do you do when you start questioning what you want...do you quit and change? - What about the time spent - would it be considered wasted or just a phase you went through, a part of your experiences.
So following which path would make it least likely for you to look back someday and say "what if?". I guess it realy does depend on individual perceptions but perceptions can change and what you think is important now probably wont be what you think is important later causing the what ifs to come. I guess everyone whatever path they chose finds themselves asking these questions (unless they have no expectations to live up to, had a trust fund and were able to do something they loved.) I find a lot of young people asking what is the point very early on in their a and its a bit disconcerting - did our parents and older generations have these questions too?
