psychology
What separates a meaningful life from a happy life
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A happy and a meaningful life often go hand in hand – but not always, explains psychologist Roy Baumeister.
A life in the lap of luxury, in which we indulge – and can indulge – in whatever desires we desire. This life should be a truly happy one, after all we would take care of that ourselves. But would it be a meaningful life?
To take to the streets, to demonstrate for one’s own freedom and the freedom of others, to oppose the tyranny of a state and to be beaten, arrested and tortured for it. This life would probably have great meaning if one’s own sacrifices would eventually play their part in stimulating profound changes in an entire country. But would this life of renunciation, degradation, violence and persecution be a happy one?
What makes us happy in life, what makes our life meaningful? These are questions that can go very deep – and which, above all, can also be answered very individually. But that’s why it’s worth looking into. After all, what brings us happiness and meaning personally are ultimately the things we should put our energy into.
What happiness and meaningfulness even mean
But what actually is “happiness”? A term that many people instinctively have an approximate idea in their head, but which ultimately also describes something quite abstract. It is not for nothing that happiness researchers all over the world deal with the topic of happiness and contentment. In research, one speaks of a subjective well-being, psychologists describe it as the frequent occurrence of happy feelings in contrast to the rare occurrence of negative emotions. In the same breath, however, they warn against so-called “toxic positivity”, i.e. ignoring or overplaying supposedly negative emotions such as sadness and anger.
Happiness can be bought – at least that’s what different studies say: One concludes that money can increase personal happiness up to $75,000 in annual earnings, one current from 2023 sees the end more likely at well over 200,000 dollars. It also depends on the individual and it has also been shown that money alone does not make you happy: there are people who are financially well positioned and who are unhappy. an extensive one Harvard study also sees the origin of happiness somewhere else: in the relationships we maintain with other people and, above all, in the depth of these connections.
And what about the meaning of a life? According to various studies, many people see the greatest meaning in life as being in the family. In this context, the relationship with parents, siblings, children and grandchildren is particularly emphasized, as well as the time spent with relatives, pride in the achievements of relatives and also the desire to leave a better world for descendants. A career is also very important to many people – but as is so often the case, it also depends on the culture: In Italy, for example, almost all of them have half of the respondents (43 percent) attributed a high level of meaning to the work – in contrast to South Korea (6 percent).
What makes a happy and meaningful life different
With a study, which works out the differences between a happy and a meaningful life, was the focus of Roy F. Baumeister and his colleagues – and thus attracted some media attention. Do you really have to choose between the two kinds of life? According to the study, a happy and meaningful life often goes hand in hand – but not always.
- Happy people meet their needs – but according to the study, that doesn’t seem to matter for a meaningful life. Means: Health, wealth and lightness in life are associated with happiness, but not with meaning.
- Happiness means being in the here and now – and finding something worth appreciating about it. It is different with meaningfulness, which deals with the past, present and future and the relationship between them. Furthermore, happiness is seen as something fleeting, but not meaning that lasts longer.
- Meaningfulness comes from what we give to other people – happiness comes from what they give to us. While both have to do with social relationships, while happiness is more associated with the benefits one derives from being together as an individual (e.g., friendships and romance), meaningfulness is more associated with what we give to others, for example example the education of our children.
- The study came to the conclusion that Meaningfulness is associated with higher levels of worry, stress, and anxiety. Dealing with challenging and difficult situations, which goes beyond one’s own person and one’s own pleasure, promotes the meaning of one’s life – but not necessarily happiness.
- Finally, self-actualization is considered important for meaning in life, but not necessarily for happiness. Doing things to express yourself – like your personal, cultural, gender identity – gives life meaning, but doesn’t necessarily make it happier.
Sources used: ardalpha.de, greatergood.berkeley.edu, pnas.org, pewresearch.org, tandfonline.com