Meaning (purpose)

Meaning is the felt sense that life or an activity matters, often through purpose, connection, or value. It can shape choices without requiring a single, fixed explanation for existence.

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Purpose in life: A person's sense of direction and intention across life. It captures the future-directed aim that can make life feel meaningful.
Meaning in life questionnaire: A psychological scale measuring the presence of and search for meaning in life. Its two subscales distinguish experienced meaning from active searching.
Viktor Frankl: An Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who founded logotherapy and wrote about meaning under extreme adversity. His clinical work made the search for meaning central to a therapeutic approach.
Hedonic well-being: Well-being understood primarily through pleasure, positive feeling, and low distress. It differs from meaning, which can persist through effort or discomfort without pleasure.
Personal values: Guiding principles that shape a person's judgments and choices. Acting in line with values can make daily activities feel worthwhile.
Logotherapy: A psychotherapy developed by Viktor Frankl that centers on the search for meaning. It treats meaning as a possible source of resilience amid suffering.
William James: An American philosopher and psychologist who helped establish modern psychology and pragmatism. His writings examined how beliefs and commitments shape a meaningful life.
Absurdism: A philosophical view that confronts the conflict between human demands for meaning and an indifferent universe. It questions whether meaning is discovered in the world or created despite its silence.
Belongingness: The feeling of being accepted and connected within relationships or groups. Close ties can supply meaning through mutual care and shared identity.
Acceptance and commitment therapy: A psychotherapy that cultivates psychological flexibility and action guided by chosen values. Its values-based action links everyday behavior with a personally meaningful direction.