Science says: these 3 things give life meaning

Sometimes I can really lose myself in an intense existential crisis. Often this happens after I have immersed myself in a book by Stephen Hawking, or delve into the universe and black holes. That completely sends me into a panic. And then I start to ruminate; what does it all mean? Why do we work every day? For what?

Life can sometimes feel quite meaningless. At least for me. This sounds very heavy, but it is not necessarily meant that way: these are just thoughts that sometimes occupy my mind. I am always the type that seeks out the facts, like in the books of Stephen Hawking, while I might need to delve more into the psychological side of life. Because yes, of course, psychologists also deal with the question: what does it all mean?

According to three different studies, there are three different ‘ingredients’ that give our lives meaning. And those three things are — I admit — still a bit vague, but I will try to explain it as clearly as possible. Psychologists also provided a set of questions with each point to ask yourself, to find out if you meet these three points enough.

Number 1: existential significance

Yes exactly, I find this very vague again, but psychologists mean an intrinsic feeling that your life, your ‘being’, matters and that what you experience on this planet is important.

Questions to ask yourself: do you matter? Is your existence important? Have your actions and life so far made a difference, or do you believe the world wouldn't really notice if you hadn't existed?

Side note: this is the question that brings me back into such an existential crisis.

Number 2: the coherence in your life

If we are to believe these psychologists, your life should feel like ‘a whole’. Everything should be interconnected and there should be a certain logic to it.

Questions to ask yourself: does your life make sense to you? Do you have clarity? Are things as they should ‘be’? Do all aspects of your life fit well together?

Number 3: your purpose

According to psychologists, this is the most important point to get a sense of a meaningful life. Apparently, we need to have a purpose, because that makes us feel useful and gives us a better self-image, and a better self-image positively influences the other two points.

Questions to ask yourself: do you have a clear direction where you are going in your life? Do you have goals and are you committed to achieving them, or are you just ‘doing something’ and being more passive?

Well, I'll be right back, just need to schedule an appointment with my psychologist, since I've just realized that I don't necessarily meet one of these three points. But hey, isn't just doing something in life also perfectly fine?

Source: Psychology Today