Survey: Do you feel fulfilled?

Written on May 2, 2026

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Results

No graffiti today, surprising! Nor any cat faces, or anything odd! Except one outlier between Kinda and Very, who kindly asked permission, and I said sure. But it wasn’t counted in the table above.

The song of the day is (I can’t get no) Satisfaction, by Cat Power. I like this cover version better than the original. (To be fair though, I was never a fan of the original.) It’s not entirely related, I just like the song and wanted to share it. But it’s kinda related I guess.

Conversations

I was mostly able to take notes this time, since it wasn’t too cold! On the flip side, they were fairly useless notes, since I trusted too much in my memory. So we’ll have to make do.

One person said “I like where I’m at in life.”

One person said they moved from their home town and feel more fulfilled. That person’s friend said she’s doing what she wants finally and feels fulfilled.

Two guys who put no said they need more money and have to gamble to try to get some.

One young man, I think he put Very, he said, yeah there’s problems in the world, but he has a good job, no debt to pay off, he gets to walk around and do what he wants, so he can’t complain. But honestly, thinking back, he had a strange hint of unfulfillment or sadness in his eyes.

Oh, also, when he was talking to me, we saw a woman catching a pigeon with a net. When we were done talking and she walked by, he told her it’s illegal and that his dad works for something or whatever.

One man who put No said he doesn’t have a job. I said don’t worry you’ll get one. He said I hope so. I wonder how much hope he really had. He didn’t look like he had much. It seemed like a very forced, sad smile.

One guy who put kinda said he just lost his job. I told him he’ll find another, and he said yeah, it’s just part of life. He seemed more optimistic about the future in his demeanor, but still sad about losing it. Maybe he really liked that job.

A Christian woman from out of town, visiting her friend who was with her, had a short discussion with me about how you can only find fulfillment in Jesus. I pushed her with hard questions because I really have a pet peeve about evangelists, but she was sincere and sweet and I agreed with most of what she said.

A happy old black man, taller than me, didn’t mark the survey, but stood and looked for a minute, and then said “I’m 6 feet above ground, and not 6 feet under ground—literally 6 feet above ground! I wouldn’t say 100, I’d say 1,000%! No, 10,000%! And you don’t have it!” When I told him “yes I do, it already says 10,000%” we had a laugh, and he said “then 100,000%!” and we had another laugh, and he walked away. Good times, good times.

One person who put No said “I’m 20, how can I feel fulfilled?” Touche, young person, touche.

One young man who put Kinda said he’s on track to go to Very and 100, but has work to do to get there.

One person who put Very clarified that it’s how they feel today.

One guy saw my cigar and thought it was a blunt! I told him I might be the only guy in Chicago that doesn’t smoke weed or vape it.

One very old man, who walked by slowly as they tend to, stopped and read my sign. When I asked him if he feels fulfilled, he said no, because he’s unemployed and because he’s homeless.

One person said No, they have a lot of shit to get in order.

One person who put Kinda siad they’re still searching out their purpose.

One young man who put Kinda said they have goals. Then he commented that I’m a different kind of person. I replied that I suppose I’m a bit unusual.

One person said they feel accomplished. (I forgot what they put, it just says “Yes” in my notes.)

One person who put No said we never get the stuff we want.

(A few notes that I have absolutely no idea what they mean. “Kinda good stuff I like that”— I think my fingers were starting to stop obeying me at this point. Or maybe it’s an inside joke between me at that moment, and only me at that moment but not the future me who’s writing this blog?)

Someone said he read my last blog! He said “I don’t believe that you don’t believe in true love.” And I was caught off guard. And as he was continuing to walk by, he said “I read your blog” or something to that effect. Ha! Someone reads this!!! Color me surprised.

One person put Kinda, and clarified “but in a good way,” saying because if you reach the top, then what’s left to do? Two guys gave that answer in a row, just a few minutes apart. Interestingly, several people started to put that answer and give that reason, independently of each other, throughout the next few hours. I wonder why that happened.

One person said Kinda, working toward projects.

Okay that’s the end of my notes.

Someone noted that the tallies got cleaner and more organized, the further toward 10000% it went. Curious.

One group of Protestants came up and we talked for a bit, and then I turned into an asshole toward them for reasons I can no longer justify. Joshua and the others, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry.

Conclusions

I was looking through my old notes for future survey ideas, and this one was the top contender. So I don’t remember what inspired it, except that in general I haven’t been feeling fulfilled over the winter.

It’s interesting that people all have different interpretations of fulfillment, but they’re somewhat similar. Some talked about employment or lack of it. Some talked about goals and dreams they have, and steps they’re taking to achieve them. Some talked about the mere potential of what they could do, without even mentioning or implying anything about goals. A few of them talked about money, and I think they didn’t have goals, and just wanted money to sponsor self indulgence.

It’s hard to generalize this into any principle, because I don’t know what goals people are talking about. Are they relationship goals? Employment goals? Financial security goals? Educational goals? Seeking fame? Fortune?

But as long as the human heart has a goal to work toward, something it desires and looks forward to, and is able to actually work toward it (i.e. has the time and resources to do so), I guess it feels progressively more fulfilled.

Or maybe not, I don’t know. I’m just guessing. What do you think?