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- Being Present at a Globally Significant Event. Being present at a globally significant event involves experiencing a major occurrence that has wide-reaching implications, politically, historically, or culturally.
- Graduating from School or University. Graduating from school or university represents the completion of an educational journey, often punctuated with personal growth and academic achievements.
- Experiencing a Spiritual Revelation. Experiencing a spiritual revelation refers to an enlightening moment that enhances your understanding or perspective of life’s deeper meaning and purpose.
- Traveling Abroad. Traveling abroad signifies more than just a change of geographical location; it entails an immersion into a different culture, language, and way of life.
- Volunteering at a Local Shelter. Spending time at a local shelter, offering comfort and assistance to those in need, instills a sense of community and compassion.
- Mentorship That Shapes Careers. A mentorship where wisdom is passed can pivot a person’s career trajectory towards greater success and fulfillment.
- Building Homes with Habitat for Humanity. Joining hands with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the less fortunate is a testament to the power of collective human effort.
- Witnessing a Natural Wonder. Standing before the grandeur of a natural wonder, like the Grand Canyon, reminds us of the earth’s majestic beauty.
Loss of a job. Most people experience having to cope with a job loss at some point in their lifetime. Getting fired, being laid off, and resigning from a job are examples of the most life-changing experiences people go through. Losing a job, especially when you have no plans for what to do next, can be a devastating experience.
Apr 27, 2021 · Common Themes of Meaningful Experiences. The researchers found the following general characteristics typical of the replies they received: The main characters often described in the "stories" were ...
- Modernism
- Logical Positivism
- Postmodernism
- Existentialism
Generally, modernism is considered to be the reigning perspective on life and meaning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (“History of Modernism”, n.d.). It was a sharp departure from the mysticism and reliance on the supernatural that dominated the landscape previously, with its emphasis on “out with the old, in with the new!” Modernists que...
During the early- to mid-1900s, this theory rose from the ashes of World War I to try to make sense of the chaotic and confusing world. Logical positivists considered meaning and knowledge to be grounded in logical, scientific roots; they believed in verifiable propositions and shunned that which was unobservable. This theory sorts sentences into o...
On the other end of the spectrum, some theories held that meaning is not absolute or formed by empirical observation, but fluid and individual. One such theory is postmodernism; this theory (or, more accurately, school of thought) rejected the idea of absolute truth or verifiable facts, believing instead that meaning can be discovered from a wide v...
Existentialismis a theory related to postmodernism, in that meaning is subjective and there is no universal code or moral authority. However, it departs from postmodernism in its insistence that there is no inherent meaning; existentialism posits that each human creates his own meaning, rather than finding meaning in the world around him. It may se...
Jan 20, 2017 · 3. Storytelling. When it comes to finding meaning, it helps to try to pull particularly relevant experiences in our lives into a coherent narrative that defines our identity. People who describe their lives as meaningful tend to have redemptive stories where they overcame something negative, and to emphasize growth, communion with others, and ...
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Nov 2, 2021 · Given the importance that most people place on meaning, how might we cultivate the feeling that life is meaningful? For most of the 20th century, philosophers, psychologists, and psychiatrists argued that meaning in life is a rare, profound experience, attainable through an active search, deep self-reflection, or some other arduous way of creating meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.