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Nov 18, 2021 · Based on these surveys, here are six facts about where Americans find meaning in life and how those responses have shifted over the past four years. The analysis also examines how attitudes in the U.S. compare with those in 16 other advanced economies surveyed by the Center in 2021.
- Lifestyle
72% of U.S. adults say tipping is expected in more places...
- Appendix C
Mark if they mention negative circumstances, difficulties,...
- Lifestyle
Nov 18, 2021 · Americans today – and especially Republicans – have also become more likely to mention freedom and independence as a source of meaning in life since 2017. For more on this and other changes over time, see “ Where Americans find meaning in life has changed over the past four years .”
- The Pursuit of Happiness. It’s right there in our Declaration of Independence. The pursuit of happiness—a phrase penned by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence—has served as a primary ambition for many Americans in the nation’s history, especially during the past century.
- The Land of the Free. Americans’ libertarian streak and resistance against an overly powerful government can, of course, be traced back to the nation’s very beginnings.
- The Promise of Tomorrow. “You’re always a day away,” Annie sang in “Tomorrow” from the titular Broadway show, a reminder that Americans have consistently had a deep faith in the possibilities of the future.
- The American Dream. Rather than just a powerful philosophy or ideology, the American Dream—“a vision of a better, deeper, richer life for every individual, regardless of the position in society which he or she may occupy by the accident of birth,” as James Truslow Adams defined the phrase in his 1931 book, The Epic of America—is thoroughly woven into the fabric of everyday life.
- Where Different Racial Groups Find Meaning
- Among Evangelicals, Religion Ranks as The Most Important Source of Meaning
- Married Americans More Likely to Mention Family, Religion
Regardless of their particular religious denomination, black Americans are more likely than others to mention faith and spirituality when describing (in the open-ended question) what gives them a sense of meaning.3Fully three-in-ten black Americans (30%) mention spirituality and faith, compared with 20% of whites and 15% of Hispanics. Race and ethn...
Religion is not the most commonly referenced source of meaning and fulfillment in either survey. In the open-ended question, one-in-five adults mention spirituality and religious faith when describing the things they find meaningful and fulfilling, which is on par with the share who mention friends and various activities or hobbies. And in the clos...
While family is a key source of meaning for Americans in many different demographic categories, there are some variations between subgroups. For example, women are somewhat more likely than men to say family provides a great deal of meaning in their lives. When asked in the open-ended question about what gives them a sense of meaning and satisfacti...
Aug 8, 2017 · Much more than the other billion or so people in the developed world, we Americans believe—really believe—in the supernatural and the miraculous, in Satan on Earth, in reports of recent...
May 12, 2021 · Four in 5 Americans (81%) believe there is an ultimate purpose and plan for every person’s life. More than 2 in 3 Americans (68%) say a major priority in their life is finding their deeper purpose. Almost 3 in 4 (73%) say it’s important they pursue a higher purpose and meaning for their life.
Apr 6, 2021 · As Americans consider higher meanings, most believe they have found it. Close to 3 in 5 (59 percent) say they have found a higher purpose and meaning for their life, with 28 percent disagreeing. Religiously unaffiliated Americans are the most likely to disagree (37 percent).
