Why is this abstract concept of meaning in life so important? Research shows that having meaning in life helps you interpret and organize your experiences, build a sense of your own worth, identify what matters to you, and direct your energies more effectively. Having a greater sense of meaning in life is associated with a higher sense of well-being, coherence, self-transcendence, resilience, optimism, self-esteem, longevity, and perceived social support (Heisel & Flett, 2016). Higher levels of meaning in life are associated with lower levels of depression, and several studies have employed interventions to enhance one’s sense of meaning in life (e.g., logotherapy and meaning-centered therapy), demonstrating a reduction in depressive symptoms (Duggal, 2018).
Social psychologist Roy Baumeister has noted that people require life to make sense in at least four basic ways (Baumeister, 1991). These four ways or needs are:
1. Purpose: This is the need to be able to interpret present events as a part of a bigger picture in the future. You can have extrinsic purposes or goals (desired, possible future circumstances) and intrinsic purposes or fulfillments (desired, possible future subjective states which are inherently good). Meaning in life may be derived from one's pursuit of extrinsic goals or intrinsic fulfillments, even if these are not realized. It, however, helps to have meaningful life goals.
2. Value or justification: This is the need to regard your actions as right and good. You want to see your present and past actions as not being objectionable and to see your life as having positive value. Values are what we want to stand for in life, how we want to behave, what sort of person we want to be, and what sort of strengths and qualities we want to develop. Completing the statement "I do this for the sake of..." for your actions in a sequential manner until you don't have an answer will lead you to your core values. You can use other value-focused exercises to clarify your values. A helpful reminder here is that values are subjective.
3. Efficacy: This is the sense of having control over events and that you are making a difference, and feel strong and capable. Goals and values may steer you towards a particular action pat,h but if it lacks challenge and is too easy, then there is little sense of efficacy. Believing that one has control makes one feel good, and, in contrast, prolonged or severe experiences of inefficacy lead to learned helplessness, a harbinger of depression. While you can control the environment you are in, this may not always be possible. This is where interpretive control comes into the picture. Interpretive control is changing yourself to fit the environment by interpreting and understanding that you have a sense of control over an event, even if you cannot do anything about it. A psychological construct that taps into your intrinsic motivation for efficacy is flow—a state of joy and satisfaction in which a person feels that their activity matches their skill set, being neither too complex nor too easy.
4. Self-worth: This is the need to have some claim on respect – both self-respect and respect of others. Self-worth is not a binary all-or-nothing construct, but rather depends on several attributes, including meaningful roles in life (such as father, husband, brother, or sister), general state of emotions, skills and abilities, perspectives and core beliefs, ethics and morals, character traits, and temperament. At times, especially when feeling depressed, people start to harbor a skewed negative view of their self-worth based on their inadequate performance in one or more life domains such as work or relationships. Recognizing that self-worth is not dependent on just one or two attributes gives you more meaning in life when you are going through a rough patch.
These four needs, though not necessary for survival, do cause frustration and distress when they are not satisfied. When people are deprived of a source of meaning in life, they first attempt to explore their existing sources of meaning to compensate for the deficit. And if this fails, they look to add entirely new sources. For example, a person in their mid-life may turn to their family and hobbies when career goals cease to be a viable source of meaning in life. It is prudent to derive meaning of life from a combination of sources – from family, work, personal achievements, friends, religion and spirituality, sports, social activism, art, politics, and hobbies. This 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.
To learn more about evidence-based self-management techniques that promote mental health and well-being, check out Dr. Duggal's Author Page.
HARPREET S. DUGGAL, MD, FAPA
REFERENCES
Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Meanings of life. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.Duggal, H. S. (2018). The Happiness guide to self-management of depression. Bloomington, IN: Archway Publishing.
Heisel, M. J., & Flett, G. L. (2016). Does recognition of meaning in life confer resiliency to suicide ideation among community-residing older adults? A longitudinal investigation. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(6), 455-466.
Hill, C. E. (2018). Meaning in life: A therapist’s guide. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
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