Meaning and Purpose in Life and Well-being: a Life-span Perspective

1987 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. T. Reker ◽  
E. J. Peacock ◽  
P. T. P. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Meaning And Purpose

scholarly journals Motivations and Emotions Behind Guru Seeking: A Case Study of Thakur Anukulchandra in Bhubaneswar, Odisha

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Soumya Mohapatra
Keyword(s):  
Special Reference ◽  
Social Bonds ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Personal Connection ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ethnographic Approach ◽  
Meaning And Purpose

This article explores why people seek out a religious guru, with special reference to Thakur Anukulchandra and his followers in contemporary urban settings of Bhubaneswar, Odisha in India. Through an ethnographic approach, this article examines the expectations of the devotees while seeking out spirituality and what kind of emotions people go through in this process, i.e. their hopes, disappointments, social bonds created with the guru and other followers. It looks at why the followers of this tradition are attracted to this particular ideology, philosophy and its relevance in an urbane setting. The study’s rationale is to explore the complex emotional bond between the guru and the followers, the narratives of devotion, accounts of miracles performed, indices of anxiety, and the nature of well-being. Findings suggest that Thakur’s sect provides people with a meaning and purpose in life and a personal connection with the charismatic guru that helps them tide over various existential crises. By making connections between the past and the present, the organization tries to anchor people’s lives and experiences.

scholarly journals Conservatives Report Greater Meaning in Life Than Liberals

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 494-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Newman ◽  
Norbert Schwarz ◽  
Jesse Graham ◽  
Arthur A. Stone
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Meaning And Purpose ◽  
Social Conservatism ◽  
The Relationship

Conservatives report greater life satisfaction than liberals, but this relationship is relatively weak. To date, the evidence is limited to a narrow set of well-being measures that ask participants for a single assessment of their life in general. We address this shortcoming by examining the relationship between political orientation and well-being using measures of life satisfaction, affect, and meaning and purpose in life. Participants completed well-being measures after reflecting on their whole life (Studies 1a, 1b, and 2), at the end of their day (Study 3), and in the present moment (Study 4). Across five studies, conservatives reported greater meaning and purpose in life than liberals at each reporting period. This finding remained significant after adjusting for religiosity and was usually stronger than the relationships involving other well-being measures. Finally, meaning in life was more closely related to social conservatism than economic conservatism.

scholarly journals The role of laughter for successful aging of Alaska Native Elders

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 911-911
Author(s):  
Jordan Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Alaska Native ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Meaning And Purpose ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract During a visit over tea and pilot bread, discussing successful aging and well-being, an Inupiat Elder shared that “It’s better to live a happier life, enjoy life all you can.” These wise words inspired the theme of this chapter which explores the role of laughter in the resilience and wellbeing of Alaska Native Elders. Based on a decade of research, this chapter introduces the concept of Alaska Native Eldership and provides an overview of the five strands of Alaska Native successful aging that contribute to their ability to remain resilient. Laughter is a universal emotional experience, and Alaska Native Elders have taught us that is has different functions that enable us to be resilient and age successfully. Laughter is woven throughout the strands of successful aging as a key to health and well-being and this chapter discusses the four types of laughter used to protect themselves, including redirecting conversations, practicing humility, taking away the power of stressful topics, as well as sharing happiness and laughter with others. This chapter concludes with reflections on how laughter contributes to our ability to find meaning and purpose in life and strengthening our relationships with family and community so we can remain resilient as we age.

New Territories of Positive Life-Span Development: Wisdom and Life Longings

2009 ◽  
pp. 170-184
Author(s):  
Susanne Scheibe ◽  
Ute Kunzmann ◽  
Paul B. Baltes
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Life Span Development ◽  
Life Orientation ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
The Life Course

In search for concepts that help understand how individuals strive for growth and perfection within the boundaries and constraints of human lives, we describe theory and research on the concepts of wisdom, or expert knowledge about human nature and the life course, and Sehnsucht (life longings), the recurring and strong desire for ideal (utopian), alternative states and expressions of life. Both represent relatively new concepts on the agenda of lifespan research, originating from an interest in identifying major topics of public and humanist discourse about the potentials and constraints of life-span development and finding ways to measure them with the methods of normative psychological science. Despite their complexity and multiple meanings, progress has been made in the theory-driven operationalization of wisdom and life longings, allowing new insights into their ontogenesis and role for positive development. Emerging research shows that wisdom and life longings do not directly promote a hedonic life orientation or happiness: neither the insight that life is incomplete (wisdom) nor the experience of this incompleteness (life longings) is compatible with feelings of unequivocal joy and pleasure. Yet, there is emerging evidence that they contribute to other aspects of positive development, emphasizing personal growth, meaning, and the aligning of one's own and other's well-being. We suggest that future research should focus on the links of wisdom and life longings with multiple developmental outcomes and the possible interplay of both concepts in promoting positive development.

The Effect of Group Dreamwork on Spiritual Well-Being

1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Dahlenburg ◽  
Orla J. Christensen ◽  
James C. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Social Interest ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Statistical Support ◽  
Spiritual Well Being

This exploratory study investigated the effect of Jungian-oriented group dreamwork on spiritual well-being and the related constructs of purpose in life and social interest. Participants were students at a religiously oriented liberal arts college. An experimental design with matching was employed. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) followed by univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used. Power and effect size analyses were also employed. The authors are cautious in their interpretation due to small group sizes and the exploratory nature of the research. Nevertheless, the findings suggest some statistical support for the efficacy of a Jungian-oriented dream appreciation group model to enhance spiritual well-being, purpose in life, and social interest.

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