Meaning in Life and Human Psychology
While acknowledging the uniqueness of every human story, it seems possible to describe four fundamental orientations that a client sitting in the therapy chair feels the need to meet: to express, to be understood, to understand, and to find solutions. Alongside these needs, the limited time in therapy, symptom-focused protocols, and approaches aimed at improving quality of life often shift both the therapist’s and the already distressed client’s focus toward a problem-centered line. While this approach helps achieve valuable outcomes such as reducing distress, increasing functionality, and transforming maladaptive thought patterns, it may—perhaps precisely because of its effectiveness—confine the therapy process within a narrow framework and lead to the neglect of certain domains that hold a central place in human psychology. One such often-overlooked domain is meaning in life, which functions like a lens shaping how individuals interpret and evaluate their experiences.
However, research conducted across different periods shows that meaning in life plays a significant role both in protection against psychopathology (Chmielewski et al., 2022; Zika & Chamberlain, 1992) and in the maintenance of psychological well-being (Gerschman, 2017). A loss of meaning tends to move in parallel with depression, anxiety, and feelings of inner emptiness (Chmielewski et al., 2022), whereas a sense of meaningfulness supports psychological resilience, self-integration, and emotional recovery (Gerschman, 2017; Zika & Chamberlain, 1992). In this sense, meaning appears not only as a structure that protects against suffering but also as one that nurtures well-being.
Although the first definition that comes to mind when we think of “meaning” is “the sense derived from a sign, word, action, or event” (Kubbealtı Dictionary, n.d.), within the context of psychology, meaning in life can be defined as a multidimensional construct rather than merely a cognitive “explanation of life.” In her doctoral dissertation, Gerschman (2017) emphasizes that meaning consists of cognitive, motivational, emotional, and behavioral components. Understanding life as coherent and structured corresponds to the cognitive component, while the desire to act in accordance with the values and goals emerging from this meaning system constitutes the motivational component. Feelings of satisfaction and wholeness associated with a meaningful life correspond to the emotional component. Finally, translating meaning into concrete, life-guiding actions forms the behavioral component. In other words, meaning shapes how individuals relate to the world and how they position themselves within life through its influence on thoughts, emotions, goals, values, and behaviors. Therefore, meaning encompasses not only the “reasons for living” but also “how we live.”
A deficiency in any of these four components has the potential to undermine the positive effects of meaning. For example, if a person constructs a cognitive system of meaning but fails to act in line with the values and goals it entails, this may lead to an internal crisis. As demonstrated in the study by Chmielewski et al. (2022), individuals experiencing a meaning crisis exhibit more severe clinical symptoms compared to those who live their lives guided by values and goals within a framework of meaning.
It is also important to note that the source of meaning is related to psychological outcomes. While short-term, pleasure-oriented (hedonic) sources of meaning—such as entertainment and feeling good—may help keep individuals away from meaning crises and depressive symptoms, they do not show a positive relationship with the broader construct of a meaningful life, unlike long-term, value- and purpose-oriented (eudaimonic) sources such as social responsibility, religiosity, spirituality, and productivity (Chmielewski et al., 2022). Individuals who derive meaning from eudaimonic sources are more likely both to remain distant from clinical symptoms such as depression and anxiety and to experience the beneficial effects of meaning in life (Chmielewski et al., 2022).
Taken together, these findings and the conceptual framework suggest that, alongside therapies focused on problems and symptoms, a life structured around meaning is of great importance for psychological health. Creating space within therapy for individuals to recognize the values and goals that shape their lives, as well as bringing this issue into focus outside of therapy, may be beneficial for both therapists and clients. Solving problems is undoubtedly important; however, it should not be forgotten that discovering the meaning within those problems may be akin to finding a compass that guides us on the path to healing.
References
Chmielewski, F., Hanning, S., Juckel, G., & Mavrogiorgou, P. (2022). Relationship between psychopathology and sources of meaning in psychotherapeutically treated patients: A naturalistic cross-sectional analysis. Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000524688
Gerschman, E. S. M. (2017). Life-meaning, psychological health, and well-being (Doctoral dissertation). https://doi.org/10.4225/03/589016D53B0A6
Zika, S., & Chamberlain, K. (1992). On the relation between meaning in life and psychological well-being. British Journal of Psychology, 83(1), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1992.tb02429.x
Kubbealtı Lugatı. (n.d.). Anlam. Lugatim.com. https://lugatim.com/s/anlam
Written By: Psychologist Ali ŞAHİN