The Human Quest for Meaning

by Wong, Paul T.P., Ph.D.; Fry, Prem S.

• ISBN13: 9780805825039
• ISBN10: 0805825037
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-08-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Does life have real meaning? Is it worth living? How can one make sense of suffering, illness, and death? Through the ages, philosophers, clergy, and laypeople alike have grappled with such existential concerns. Some have taken the position that deep questions about meaning are unanswerable, that ideally one should take life as it comes. Recent studies have shown, however, that the way in which individuals address existential concerns has profound implications for their mental and physical well-being. We are symbol-making creatures. The quest for meaning is now regarded by many as a universal human motive--as fundamental as our need for food and water. One of the tenets of several new therapies is that an existential vacuum lies at the heart of neurosis and depression. Empirical research has clearly demonstrated that a strong sense of personal meaning is associated with life satisfaction. From a lifespan perspective, the struggle to construe meaning is a never-ending task; its effectiveness seems to predict much about personality development and successful aging. The mediating role of personal meaning in coping with stress has also received increasing attention. No matter how hopeless the situation and how devastating the pain, we are more likely to survive if we cling to the belief that life has some purpose. In this volume, leading representatives of trends converging from different fields examine the complex processes of meaning seeking, and offer the first authoritative review of the central role of personal meaning in human life and its implications for clinical practice. Brimming with new ideas for research and intervention, The Human Quest for Meaningwill be an important resource for all those professionally concerned with mental and physical health.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors	xi	(2)
Foreword	xiii	(4)
Robert C. Barnes
Introduction	xvii
I THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO PERSONAL MEANING	1	(140)
1. Creating Meaning Through Making Decisions	3	(24)
Salvatore R. Maddi
2. The Search for Meaning in Evolutionary Perspective and Its Clinical Implications	27	(24)
Eric Klinger
3. The Sense of Coherence: Making Sense Out of Chaos	51	(20)
David Korotkov
4. The Process of Temporal Self-Comparison in Self-Evaluation and Life Satisfaction	71	(20)
Denise R. Beike
Paula M. Niedenthal
5. The Development of Personal Meaning and Wisdom in Adolescence: A Reexamination of Moderating and Consolidating Factors and Influences	91	(20)
Prem S. Fry
6. Implicit Theories of Meaningful Life and the Development of the Personal Meaning Profile	111	(30)
Paul T. P. Wong
II RESEARCH IN PERSONAL MEANING	141	(152)
7. The Construction of Meaning From Life Events: Empirical Studies of Personal Narratives	143	(20)
Kristin L. Sommer
Roy F. Baumeister
8. When Losses Lead to Gains: Personal Goals and the Recovery of Meaning	163	(16)
Robert A. Emmons
Patricia M. Colby
Heather A. Kaiser
9. Types and Depth of Written Life Meaning	179	(14)
Peter Ebersole
10. Personal Project Pursuit: Dimensions and Dynamic of Personal Meaning	193	(20)
Brian R. Little
11. The Role of Purpose in Life and Personal Growth in Positive Human Health	213	(24)
Carol D. Ryff
Burton Singer
12. Measurement of Personal Meaning: The Psychometric Properties of the Life Regard Index	237	(24)
Dominique Louis Debats
13. Academic Values and Achievement Motivation	261	(32)
Paul T. P. Wong
III THE ROLE OF PERSONAL MEANING IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY	293	(144)
14. The Calls of Meaning	295	(12)
Joseph Fabry
15. The Meaning of Life and the Goals in Life for Chronically Ill People	307	(10)
Elisabeth Lukas
16. Meaning as an Organized Process of Valuation: A Self-Confrontational Approach	317	(18)
Hubert J. M. Hermans
17. Finding Meaning Through Caring for Persons With Alzheimer's Disease: Assessment and Intervention	335	(24)
Carol J. Farran
Daniel R. Kuhn
18. Spirituality, Meaning, and Successful Aging	359	(36)
Paul T. P. Wong
19. Meaning-Centered Counseling	395	(42)
Paul T. P. Wong
About the Contributors	437	(8)
Author Index	445	(12)
Subject Index	457