Meaningseeking

Meaningseeking is the process by which individuals pursue a sense of significance, purpose, and value in life. It encompasses forming goals, beliefs, worldviews, and personal narratives that render experiences meaningful. The concept appears across disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, and anthropology, often linking to how people orient themselves in the face of uncertainty, adversity, or change.

In psychological theory, meaningseeking is tied to both existential and humanistic perspectives. Some frameworks treat meaning as a fundamental motivational force guiding behavior, coping, and growth. Others distinguish meaningseeking from meaning-making, the cognitive and emotional processes through which people interpret events to restore or create meaning after disruption. The construct is also related to the broader idea of eudaimonic well-being, which emphasizes purpose and self-realization.

Measurement and domains vary, with tools like the Meaning in Life Questionnaire capturing presence of meaning and search for meaning, along with other scales assessing purpose, coherence, or existential well-being. Research indicates that meaningseeking can be adaptive—promoting resilience, engagement, and goal-directed action—or maladaptive, especially when meaning remains elusive or unattainable.

Contextual factors such as culture, religion, and social roles shape how meaningseeking is experienced and expressed. In everyday life and work, it relates to finding meaningful activities, authentic relationships, and coherent life narratives. Critiques address definitional ambiguity, cultural validity, and the direction of causality between meaningseeking and well-being.