Should We Aspire to a Happy or Meaningful Life?

For some people, the epitome of happiness is lounging on a sunny beach with a cocktail, while for others, it’s the comfort of snuggling in a warm spot, eating their favorite snack and watching a movie. Many acknowledge that such immediate pleasures bring them joy.

However, even with the freedom and means to pursue a hedonistic lifestyle, a significant number of people have discovered that mere pleasure is insufficient. They yearn for a life imbued with meaning as well.

Regrettably, “meaning” in life has not been a primary focus of psychological research. However, a comprehensive online survey by Roy Baumeister and his team involved 397 adults (68% female, average age 36), and a subsequent study with 124 students (45% female, average age 21), as reported in the Journal of Positive Psychology, provided a different perspective.

This research measured participants’ happiness and sense of meaningfulness multiple times over a month, alongside various other queries aimed at distinguishing factors contributing uniquely to happiness or meaningfulness.

Baumeister and his team observed that although happiness and meaningfulness often coincide (with correlation scores of .63 and .70, respectively), there are notable distinctions. Factors like ease of life, good health, financial ability, a…