The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness

by Emily Esfahani Smith

social scientists have uncovered a sad irony—chasing happiness actually makes people unhappy.

pursuing meaning actually boosted psychological health.

Social scientists, too, have found that when we put effort into building something, we tend to value it more—a phenomenon psychologists call the “IKEA effect.”

Only by facing challenges head-on can we truly find meaning in our lives.

They are the four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence.

Positive experiences with colleagues, too, helped the cleaners feel a sense of belonging.

Though living with purpose may make us happier and more determined, a purpose-driven person is ultimately concerned not with these personal benefits but with making the world a better place.

Not all of us will find our calling. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find purpose.

“I spend most of my time unloading boxes from a truck and doing other manual labor,” said Ian Mitchell, who works at the Life is Good warehouse in New Hampshire, “and I know that just by doing my job well, I am helping the kids.”