Meaning and Purpose in Life: Commonplace or Hard to Come By?

In all cultures and at all times, humans have sought to make sense of their existence. Man’s search for meaning is a quest as ancient as the dawn of human consciousness.

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For at least 100,000 years, humans have buried the dead with rituals and with artifacts, apparently believing that life involves something more than just running from the lion, hunting, gathering, and mating.

It is well established that a sense of purpose is necessary for psychological health, and in turn, for human adaptation and survival. If life did not seem worth it, our ancestors may have given up on running from the lion. If depressed, they may have been less enthusiastic about mating.

Human evolution depends on our motivation and our will to survive, our feeling that life always remains worth the effort.

In the September edition of the American Psychologist (“Life is Pretty Meaningful”), Samantha J. Heintzelman and Laura A. King took note of a uniquely obvious and easily overlooked paradox in how we characterize meaning in life:

“It is portrayed simultaneously as a necessity and as something that is next to impossible to attain.”

The research shows that “social exclusion reliably leads to lower ratings on meaningful existence” and that social connections enhance the experience. If being accepted by a tribe is all it takes to heighten the emotion, a sense of meaningfulness must not be hard to come by.

A positive mood is also an influence. Individuals who are untroubled will rate their sense of meaning higher. Whatever else a purposeful life may involve, people who are satisfied and content are not likely to feel they are missing anything.

Because it is essential to our health, we are continuously motivated to seek the experience of purpose and meaning. It is like food, an everyday desire. Like sex, it is not a longing that can be satisfied in a “once and for all” way.

When our ordinary needs are satisfied, we tend to seek more. It is in our nature to search out ultimate pleasures and exquisite flavors. Some people find the next level of meaning in religious enlightenment or ecstasy. Others reach for self-awareness, personal fulfillment or self-actualization. Some people turn inward, others reach out.

The quest for a higher purpose and a greater meaning (the “Holy Grail”) is sometimes difficult and it has no end point. Still, it is not a hopeless journey. According to the research, most people easily find meaning, all along the way.