“Relatedly, young adults are engaging less with the traditional structures that once provided purpose in life, such as organized religion.
A sense of purpose in life may have evolved “because it signals that fitness-relevant motives are being satisfied,” they explained.
“The takeaway is that we might well find purpose in life by pursuing at least some of our basic, hardwired social needs.
Though perhaps counterintuitive, the evidence suggests that goal pursuit leads to purpose in life, and not the other way around.
Future research might track the relationship of fundamental social pursuits and individuals’ purpose in life over time,” Scott said.
The current findings merely illuminate some very broad and accessible routes to finding more purpose in life,” Scott added.
The study, “Surviving and Thriving: Fundamental Social Motives Provide Purpose in Life“, was authored by Matthew J. Scott and Adam B. Cohen. »
