As we get older, we become more focused on searching for meaning—and we’re most likely to find it in actions that benefit others.44 My favorite test of meaningful work is to ask: if this job didn’t exist, how much worse off would people be? It’s near midlife that this question often begins to loom large. At around this time, in both work and life, we feel we have more to give (and less to lose),45 and we’re especially keen to share our knowledge and skills with the next generation.
