The Meaning in Life

Seeking a Life that Matters

Michael Steger, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Counseling Psychology and Applied Social Psychology programs at Colorado State University. See full bio

April 9, 2009

Smackdown! Homer (Simpson) vs. Aristotle: What Does it Mean to Be Happy?

Somewhere around 2500 years ago, a little argument developed among a bunch of free Greek men with too much time on their hands and too many neurons for their own good. They were trying to create a definitive description of the Good Life. Their argument stretched across several decades, and many luminaries joined in; Gorgias, Aristotle, Aristuppus, Epicurus, Epictetus, Plato, etc. Believe it or not, their argument isn't really settled even now. Read More

March 31, 2009

To Mean, or Not To Mean

"The tragedy of modern man is not that he knows less and less about the meaning of his own life, but that it bothers him less and less." -Vaclav Havel- For the sake of argument, let's say that the esteemed Vaclav Havel is right and we are bothered less and less by the question of meaning in our lives...is that bad? Several decades of research have been conducted on this question, and the evidence is strong. Read More

March 25, 2009

Not My President?

Wild-eyed Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann recently called on her constituents to get "armed and dangerous" to protect America. Congresswoman Bachmann invoked the spirit of Thomas Jefferson to urge a revolution, so we don't lose our country, you know. Who is the threat? President Barack Obama. Twice in eight years, some Americans have wondered whether the guy in the Oval Office is the president. What do these sentiments say about the meaningful life? Read More

March 9, 2009

What Do Kids See When They Look at Their Art?

A child's art is a glimpse of a hidden world. (And apparently there are no jobs for art critics in that world). Let's be honest, kid art is objectively bad. Yet, kids have the seemingly magical ability to see their self-expression for what it is, not for what it is not. Read More

March 4, 2009

The Recession and Me(aning), Part 2: Making Meaning Even if You're Not Making Money

We all have that friend who is never fazed by anything. "Hey Chip, sorry to hear you lost your job." "Oh, that's OK, it gives me more time to write my memoirs." These people drive us crazy. Their response to set-backs seems insane at best, and designed to torment us at worst. Perhaps some part of us wishes we could be so laissez-faire, but wouldn't we be missing some crucial piece of living if we didn't have to overcome hardship? Many psychologists believe that people grow through their stressful circumstances by making meaning from them. Read More

February 27, 2009

Death and the Miser, or Making Sure You Don't Leave the Most Important Things Behind

Meaning can be found in the strangest places. It's not just the joyful things that help us feel our lives matter; often it's the most painful things. It's a venerable paradox. The more you dive into life and love those around you, the more you risk losing when death comes. Yet, if you don't love strongly, fully, and heedlessly, life is hollowed out and is just a shadow of what it could be. Read More

February 24, 2009

The Recession and Me(aning), Part 1: If You Are What You Do, Who Are You When You Lose Your Job?

The ubiquitous ritual of beginning conversations with strangers with some version of "Hi, I'm so-and-so. What do you do?" creates the impression that the most important thing about us is our job. Perhaps we are what we do? What happens, though, when the sacrifices you've made for your employer are repaid in worthless company stock or a pink slip? Read More

February 16, 2009

What is the Meaning of (Your) Life?

Psychologists don't study "The Meaning Of Life" (cue portentious music). Instead we study the meaning in life...

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