The Art of Life, Zygmunt Bauman.

In our individualized society we are all artists of life
-- whether we know it or not,
will it or not and like it or not,
by decree of society if not by our own choice.
In this society we are all expected,rightly or wrongly,
to give our lives purpose and form
by using our own skills and resources,
even if we lack the tools and materials
with which artists' studios need to be equipped
for the art's work to be conceived and executed.
And we are praised or censured for the results,
for what we have managed or failed to accomplish
and for what we have achieved and lost.

In our liquid modern society
we are also taught to believe
that the purpose of the art of life should be
and can be happiness
-- though it's not clear what happiness is,
the images of a happy state keep changing
and the state of happiness remains
most of the time something yet-to-be-reached.

The Art of Life,Zygmunt Bauman.