The Overlooked Self-Transcendent Nature of Meaning in Life: Having a Positive Impact on Others

Abstract The prevailing consensus in the psychological literature regarding the construct of meaning in life typically aligns with a tripartite perspective. In this article, we advance theoretical arguments and present empirical evidence that challenge this prevailing view, arguing that the self-transcendent nature of meaning in life has been overlooked, particularly the importance of evaluating one’s life as having a positive impact. Our introduction puts forth several arguments in favor of our hypothesis and justifies our reasons for exploring this new avenue. In Studies 1 and 2, part of our results indicates that individuals who have a positive impact on others are considered to have a more meaningful life than those who don’t. In Study 3, we find that when participants are asked to rate and rank definitions of meaning in life, having a positive impact on others is among the highest-ranked definitions. In Study 4, we present two key findings. We show that a 4-factor model including measures of impact, purpose, coherence and significance has a better fit to our data than a 1, 2 or 3-factor model. Furthermore, we show that people who see themselves as having a positive impact on others rate their life as more meaningful, and this effect remains after controlling for the other three artite perspective. In this article, we advance theoretical arguments and present empirical evidence that challenge this prevailing view, arguing that the self-transcendent nature of meaning in life has been overlooked, particularly the importance of evaluating one’s life as having a positive impact. Our introduction puts forth several arguments in favor of our hypothesis and justifies our reasons for exploring this new avenue. In Studies 1 and 2, part of our results indicates that individuals who have a positive impact on others are considered to have a more meaningful life than those who don’t. In Study 3, we find that when participants are asked to rate and rank definitions of meaning in life, having a positive mpact on others is among the highest-ranked definitions. In Study 4, we present two key findings. We show that a 4-factor model including measures of impact, purpose, coherence and significance has a better fit to our data than a 1, 2 or 3-factor model. Furthermore, we show that people who see themselves as having a positive impact on others rate their life as more meaningful, and this effect remains after controlling for the other three dimensions of purpose, coherence, and significance.