Meanings of LifeIn this extraordinary book, an eminent social scientist explores what empirical studies from diverse fields tell us about the human condition. Meanings of Life draws together evidence from psychology, history, anthropology, and sociology, integrating copious research findings into a clear and conclusive discussion of how people attempt to make sense of their lives. In a lively and accessible style, emphasising facts over theories, Baumeister explores why people desire meaning in their lives, how these meanings function, what forms they take, and what happens when life loses meaning. The volume includes a review of interdisciplinary literature that covers what the social sciences say about such matters as happiness, suffering, and death. It explores people's need for a sense of purpose, values, control over their lives, and a sense of self worth. Divorce and religious conversion are also examined. The book attempts to analyze the myths of fulfilment and higher meaning, illusions of eternity, the suppression of female sexuality, the failure of the work ethic, why death is more threatening to us than it was to our ancestors, and how suffering stimulates the quest for meaning. It demonstrates how happiness depends more upon one's interpretation than actual circumstances, and shows that the keys to happiness are attitude, judicious comparison, a bit of luck and a healthy dose of self-deception. |
Contents
Who Says Life Has No Meaning? | 3 |
Coming to Terms with Meaning | 12 |
The Four Needs for Meaning An Existential Shopping List | 29 |
The Myth of Higher Meaning | 58 |
Looking for Answers | 75 |
SelfIdentity and the Value Gap | 77 |
Work Work Work Work | 116 |
Passionate Love Domestic Bliss | 145 |
Suffering and Unhappiness | 232 |
Meanings of Death | 269 |
Changes in Meaning | 293 |
Life Change Adding and Subtracting Meanings | 295 |
Why Women Once Disliked Sex | 328 |
Epilogue | 356 |
The Work Ethic | 371 |
The Parenthood Paradox | 388 |
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Common terms and phrases
19th century accept achieve attitudes basis Baumeister become behavior belief career century chapter Christian Christian Right cognitive dissonance context cult culture death desire divorce effects efficacy emotional emphasis ethic evidence example existentialists experience failure faith false permanence feel fulfillment goals god that failed happiness human ideas illusions illusions of control implications important individual intrinsic motivation involves Journal of Personality justify learned helplessness levels life's meaning linked Little Richard lives loss of meaning major marriage married meaning vacuum meaningful modern society moral motivations myth of higher needs for meaning negative one's oneself parenthood parents pattern Personality and Social positive probably problem purpose regarded relationship religion religious response role satisfaction self-esteem selfhood sense sexual simply slaves Social Psychology source of meaning stable success suffering tend things tion traditional typically value base value gap Victorian women York