5.2: Meaning and Purpose
- Page ID
- 206266
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Simple Moments Can Shape a Life of Significance
When discussing individuals who live profoundly meaningful lives, we often highlight those who achieve extraordinary feats or have a significant impact on society, like Harriet Tubman, Malala Yousafzai, or Greta Thunberg. We rarely spotlight ordinary people in this regard. Additionally, our attention tends to focus on notable achievements or remarkable contributions, and the underlying factors that shape their meaningful existence. However, it's surprising to note that many of us lead lives filled with profound significance. While we typically view meaning in life as an exceptional accomplishment, research suggests that finding meaning is a common human experience, often found in everyday aspects like relationships, positive emotions, and routine tasks.
Life meaning and other eudaimonic traits don't need to be overly complicated. This gives us hope that we can adjust life meaning, purpose, and related deep constructs in relatively simple ways. Moreover, happiness, closely correlated with eudaimonia, can also be influenced accordingly.
Watch as individuals share their profound insights on the question: "What is your purpose in life?"⁵ in a thought-provoking video uploaded by Participant.
Firstly, a meaningful life is defined by a sense of purpose, providing a guiding force that gives direction and significance to one's existence (e.g., Baumeister, 1991⁶). Secondly, it involves feeling that one's actions and contributions matter, carrying weight and impact (e.g., Baumeister, 1991⁷). Lastly, there's a cognitive aspect: a meaningful life is one that makes sense to the individual, characterized by coherence, predictability, and meaningful connections (e.g., Antonovsky, 1993⁸; Baumeister, 1991⁹; Baumeister & Vohs, 2002¹⁰). While definitions of meaning in life often include these aspects, they may vary in emphasis.
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Motivational plus Existensial parse into Significance or Purpose
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Cognitive Flow parse into 3 areas; Motivation, Connections or Coherence
Furthermore, those who find meaning in their lives tend to report higher levels of happiness, greater satisfaction with life, increased involvement in their work, improved immune function, and a greater ability to cope with stress, leading to a longer lifespan (Steger, 2009¹¹). Additionally, they experience slower cognitive decline, lower rates of depression and suicidal thoughts, and are generally perceived as more socially appealing to others.
Let's work on enhancing your meaning in life and/or help you find some purpose in a meaningful way.
Activity: The Best Possible Future Self Exercise
Step 1.
The Best Possible Future Self Exercise, by Dr Laura King. This has been shown to improve overall happiness and reduce goal conflict, plus a host of other benefits too. So firstly, for 5 minutes, without any self-editing at all, without limitation and with inhibition write a response to this prompt:
“Think about your life in the future you are 109 years old. Imagine that everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing all your life goals. Think of this as the realization of all your life dreams. Now, write about what you imagined”
Step 2.
Please take a moment to jot down your response to this prompt for the next 5 minutes. Let your thoughts flow freely without holding back, without self-editing, criticism, or limitations.
“Imagine that your 109-year old self had access to a time machine. They jumped into that time machine and arrived to this very moment in time. They climb out, sit next to you and give you advice. What would they say?”
Step 3.
Now take 2 minutes to take that advice and create a list of actions points from it. Simply focus on the top three action points every day.
Why does this work?
- As you pay attention to these elements, you'll begin to recognize what gives your life meaning. What's crucial is that you've outlined steps for today, ensuring that meaning isn't just a distant goal but something achievable in the present.
- Note: Finding purpose is a journey that unfolds over time, but these steps provide a path forward, steering you away from the feeling of "There has to be more to life than THIS."
How Engaged Are You?
Want to know your current level of life purpose? Take the Life Engagement Test (LET)¹², created by Dr. Michael Scheier and colleagues.
Finding Meaning in Adversity
Viennese psychologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl observed that fellow prisoners who maintained a sense of purpose demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of torture, forced labor, and starvation. Frankl's 1959 book, Man's Search for Meaning, solidified his beliefs regarding the paramount importance of meaning and purpose. A decade later, Frankl contributed to the creation of the first and most widely utilized standardized purpose assessment, the 21-item "Purpose in Life" test.
In a YouTube video uploaded by Callid Keefe-Perry, Victor Frankl is interviewed on the concept of Finding Meaning in Despair¹³.
Meaning-making (MM), as explored by Nansook Park, proves invaluable for stress reduction and recovery. It helps individuals navigate through stressful situations, shaping their fundamental beliefs, goals, and emotions. This process can occur both automatically, through intrusive thoughts, and deliberately, via coping strategies like positive reappraisal, goal adjustment, problem-solving, or seeking solace in religion or spirituality.
Moreover, MM aids individuals in making sense of events that challenge their existing worldview. The outcomes of this meaning-making process are numerous and positive, including personal growth, the abandonment of unattainable goals in favor of new ones, a deeper understanding of events, and the restoration of life's meaning. For further insights, explore Dr. Nansook Park's¹⁴ research at the University of Michigan.
Happiness 2.0- Cultivating your purpose¹⁵ on Hidden Brain, featuring psychologist Dr. Anthony Burrow.
- What is languishing?
- What is the difference between meaning and purpose?
- What is the relation between stress and purpose? How does purpose change responses to stress and day to day life?
- What are some examples of things purpose is related to? What types of benefits do you see in health, cognition, and relationships?
- How do you find, cultivate, or develop purpose?
Be sure to check out Chapter 9, "Meaning in Life," in Dr. Rona Hart's book, Positive Psychology: The Basics¹⁶.
- What is meaning in life?
- What are its 3 components?
- How do we measure life meaning?
- What is the connection between self-actualization and meaning?
- What are the benefits of meaning in life? What does it predict and what is it associated with in psychology? (*for the reading & the below video)
Check out the video titled Your Life Is Pretty Meaningful¹⁷ by Dr. Laura King, presented at the 2014 Society for Personality & Social Psychology conference.
- What are the myths of meaning in life described in this video?
- What does Dr. King mean when she says that people think Life Meaning is not ineffable?
- What are some easy things that increase life meaning?
interpreting experiences and assigning meaning to them based on personal beliefs and values
Attribution
⁵Participant. (2016, May 11). What is Your Purpose in Life? | 0-100 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK66az43EOI
⁶,⁷,⁹Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Meanings of life. New York : Guilford Press. Retrieved from http://archive.org/details/meaningsoflife0000baum
⁸Antonovsky, A. (1993). The structure and properties of the sense of coherence scale. Social Science & Medicine, 36(6), 725–733. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(93)90033-Z
¹⁰Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2002). The pursuit of meaningfulness in life. In Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 608–618). Oxford University Press.
¹¹Steger, M. F. (2009). Meaning in life. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd ed., pp. 679–687). Oxford University Press.
¹²Scheier, M. F., Wrosch, C., Baum, A., Cohen, S., Martire, L. M., Matthews, K. A., Schulz, R., & Zdaniuk, B. (2006). The Life Engagement Test: Assessing Purpose in Life. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29(3), 291–298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-005-9044-1
¹³Callid Keefe-Perry. (2013, November 29). Viktor Frankl on Finding Meaning in Despair [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rYRKZfunJA
¹⁴Nansook Park | U-M LSA Department of Psychology. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/faculty/nspark.html
¹⁵Happiness 2.0: Cultivating Your Purpose | Hidden Brain Media. (2023, February 20). https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/cultivating-your-purpose/
¹⁶,¹⁹Hart, R. (2020). Positive Psychology: The Basics (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315147857
¹⁷Society for Personality and Social Psychology. (2014, February 16). Your Life is Probably Pretty Meaningful - Laura King at SPSP 2014 Austin [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/sYHMNJ1Ucjc?si=84jphZ5140vaKhQy