More important pursuit in life: meaning or happiness?

People who find a meaningful purpose to their suffering are far more resilient than those who fail to do so.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

The uniqueness and singleness which distinguishes each individual and gives a meaning to his existence has a bearing on creative work as much as it does on human love. When the impossibility of replacing a person is realized, it allows the responsibility which a man has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all its magnitude. A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the ‘why’ for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any ‘how.

In short, happy people derive much satisfaction from receiving, while those that find meaning find intrinsic reward from giving. Serving others and finding meaning in life are uniquely human pursuits which do not necessarily or naturally lead to happiness. Pursuit of individual comfort is not a uniquely human endeavor; animals are capable of pursuing happiness when satisfying their natural drives. Most importantly, according to researchers, is the fact that meaning transcends the present moment. Happiness is a simple, passing emotion that is felt and experienced merely momentarily, whereas meaning transcends emotion and time. Meaning is a chain that connects past, present and future together. A 2011 study confirmed that experiencing negative events decreases one’s happiness but can potentially increase one’s ability to find meaning in life. Further studies have shown that spending large amounts of time contemplating the past or future leads to a relatively meaningful but unhappy life.

Living and thinking solely in the present might make a person happier, but it will not contribute to a greater purpose. Serving others takes many forms. The most obvious and highly valued appear to be those which serve the homeless, battle injustice, or raise up young children. 

Regards:

Ekta Arora