10 Myths and Facts about Meaning in Life

Through the ages, philosophers, poets, and scientists have tried to make sense of the concept of meaning in life. In simplistic terms, people experience the presence of meaning in life when they (Steger et al., 2008):

• Comprehend themselves and the world
• Understand their unique fit in the world
• Identify what they are trying to accomplish in their lives

Although there are objective ways to measure one's level of meaningfulness in life, the concept remains riddled with misconceptions. This article discusses common myths and their corresponding facts (Duggal, 2018). 

1. Myth: Meaning in life is a long-term pursuit that may take years.
Fact: Meaning in life differs from man to man, day to day, and hour to hour, and what matters more is not the meaning in life in general but the specific meaning of an individual’s life at a given moment. Meaning in life can be a vocation or mission to carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment (Frankl, 2006).


2. Myth: One has to find meaning in life.
Fact: Meaning in life is something you may just have to build in your existing life circumstances rather than find. Focusing on what is purposeful and meaningful in a job, relationships, or other domains of life is how one builds meaning. Don’t wait for fate to show you your higher calling.


3. Myth: Meaning in life becomes more apparent following a life-changing adversity when people face an existential crisis. 
Fact: For some people, an adverse life-altering event triggers a pursuit for meaning in life, but not everyone will have such a revelation. Meaning in life is the practice of learning to live life as a series of moments and asking yourself, “What is my purpose in this moment?”

4. Myth: There can be only one source for meaning in life.
Fact: Meaning in life is not a single thing. Meaning can come from multiple sources in your life. These can include a combination of sources such as family, relationships, spirituality, academic pursuits, personal growth and development, arts, hobbies, social activism, politics, and work. Having multiple sources of meaning protects you from being vulnerable if you were to depend on one or two life domains to provide that meaning and were having difficulties in those domains.


5. Myth: True meaning in life can only be found by deeper spiritual experiences.
Fact: Meaning in life is not necessarily a "aha!" moment from a spiritual, philosophical, or transcendental experience but can be from mundane everyday experiences of pleasure and satisfaction. 


6. Myth: Meaning in life is stable over time. 
Fact: Meaning in life changes over time. When people are deprived of a source of meaning in life, they first try to explore their existing sources of meaning to make up for the deficit. And if this fails, they look to add entirely new sources. For example, a person in midlife may turn to family and hobbies when career goals cease to be a viable source of meaning in life. 


7. Myth: Meaning in life has to be something tangible.
Fact: Meaning in life can be your hopes, dreams, and aspirations. It can be the awareness that one has the responsibility of completing unfinished tasks. 


8. Myth: What mood you are in has nothing to do with the pursuit of meaning in life.
Fact: On the contrary, a positive mood facilitates the search and discovery of meaning in life (King et al., 2006). Individuals, while in a positive mood, are more receptive to meaning when it is presented to them and more dismissive of a relatively meaningless endeavor. In simple terms, if you are having a bad day, your perception of what is meaningful in life may alter.


9. Myth: To sustain a meaningful life, one has to always do something.  
Fact:  Of course, you want to work on value-based goals to add meaning to your life. But sometimes meaning comes from saying no to things that are not in line with your values. This may include letting go of toxic people, unhelpful thoughts, and distracting activities. This, in turn, gives you more time to focus on the more meaningful aspects of your life (Rashid & Seligman, 2019). 

10. Myth: In the pursuit of meaning in life, the journey matters more than the destination. 

Fact: We all have attributes of both search (journey) for meaning in life and presence (destination) of meaning in life. While the presence of meaning in life confers resilience in an individual, the same cannot be said of the search component. A healthy search for meaning in life is grounded in one's aspirations and insights derived from engaging with life's challenges, and this search fosters hope. In contrast, a dysfunctional search, in which one struggles to engage with or resolve life's challenges, leads to despair (Steger et al., 2008).  

Being aware of these common misconceptions about meaning in life will at least give you some sense of direction toward living a meaningful life. To learn more about evidence-based self-management techniques that are proven to work for depression, check out Dr. Duggal's Author Page.

HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD, FAPA

REFERENCES

Duggal, H.S. (2018). The Happiness Guide to Self-Management of Depression. Bloomington, IN: Archway Publishing.

Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s search for meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

King, L. A., Hicks, J. A., Krull, J. L., & Del Gaiso, A. K. (2006). Positive affect and the experience of meaning in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(1), 179-196. 

Rashid, T., & Seligman, M. (2019). Positive psychotherapy workbook. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 

Steger, M. F., Kashdan, T. B., Sullivan, B. A., & Lorentz, D. (2008). Understanding the search for meaning in life: personality, cognitive style, and the dynamic between seeking and experiencing meaning. Journal of Personality, 76(2), 199-228.