Finding meaning
People are after something all the time. From philosophies worldwide to our own introspection of life, we understand that as conscious and sentient beings, we constantly seek something or the other. Among the things we seek is meaning in what we do. Psychologist Martin E. Seligman, in his work on positive psychology, discussed meaning as, “belonging and/or serving something greater than ourselves”. Meaning is essential for greater life satisfaction.
Finding a purpose and fulfilling that purpose has become vital to many of us and it adds meaning to our life. Most often, though, this purpose we seek is to serve others and impact others’ lives positively. Yet, we are often engrossed in meeting the needs that serve us rather than others. While it is important to fulfil many of those needs, it is not adequate in achieving fulfilment or actualisation, and we feel like we are stuck between what we seek to do and what we end up doing.
Are we side-tracked?
We are built to be kind. Philosophers, many ethical traditions, and even anthropologists around the world say – as humans we are compassionate and we ought to serve others. However, at some point in life, we are all introduced to the idea of survival of the fittest, and this idea of being the fittest invokes in us a narcissistic attitude that demands us to be better than others, keeping us busy with achieving tasks that do not allow us to look beyond ourselves and our immediate needs.
Interestingly, the word, survival of the fittest was originally coined by Herbert Spencer, a philosopher and Charles Darwin adopted it to only explain natural selection in reproduction. In fact, Charles Darwin, in his later works explained that sympathy (compassion) is the strongest instinct that humans have on which human evolution and survival depend.
Meaning and Psychology
Recent studies show that meaning is vital to healthy mental functioning. The need for meaning arises from the need to have a sense of value and worth. Having meaning in life manifests in different ways for everyone. It could be derived philosophically or cognitively through introspection or looking at self through the eyes of others. No matter the approach, people who report having lived a meaningful life have better well-being, and satisfaction with overall life. It is derived by many from compassion. With compassion towards others, we look beyond ourselves to serve others, or a higher purpose and, thus, add meaning to our life.
How to add meaning to life?
While it is an individual journey to find that purpose in life and how one endeavour to meet that purpose, one can always start with compassion. Firstly, show compassion to people in your own lives, and maintain meaningful relationships. Secondly, start with a cause that moves you, and get involved in the capacity you wish to. It could be through contribution towards charity, humanitarian causes, climate, art or innovation that helps in making a difference. Then, explore other options, and maybe get engaged in the activities that serve everyone in the community you live in.