Research Shows Pursuing Purpose is Healthier than Pursuing Happiness
This morning I came across a dense, yet thought provoking article. It compares the pursuit of purpose to the pursuit of happiness. The title is Why focusing on meaning, and not happiness, makes us better off.
The argument the author makes is based on a 2013 research study of those with social anxiety disorder. In short, this research concludes that commitment to a purpose in life improves one’s well-being. Given that, the author argues the following:
Estimates of the lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders indicate that around one in two adults will meet the criteria for a mental-health condition at some point in their lives. Given that psychological pain is so ubiquitous, we should focus less on what might make us happy, and more on achieving a sense of meaning, regardless of how we’re feeling.
This premise follows a 2017 study by a group of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health. This study showed that working towards a life’s purpose reduces declining physical function in adults 50 and older. This is nothing short of amazing.
Furthermore, there is also the research on purpose in youth by psychology professor Kendall Cotton Bronk. She found that purpose-minded youth are more health conscious and have higher self-esteem, among many other benefits. So as you can see purpose drives health at all age levels.
In summary, there is plenty of research that shows why pursuing purpose should take precedence over pursuing happiness. While the founding fathers of America defined the pursuit of happiness as an unalienable right, it appears that mother nature dictates the pursuit of purpose as an unalienable need for health.