I am stoked to share a new Human Flourishing Lab report from Dr. Andrew Abeyta, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University and a social psychology fellow at the Archbridge Institute. The report provides a review of research on how work contributes to meaning in life and offers recommendations for organizations and individuals.
Meaning is a critical ingredient of human flourishing. When people perceive their lives as meaningful, they are more satisfied with their lives, more resilient when facing life’s difficulties, and at lower risk of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide. Meaning also promotes good physical health and longevity, as well as educational and professional success.
This is because of meaning’s self-regulatory and motivational power. Meaning supports self-control, helping us make decisions that ultimately improve our lives and the lives of others. It helps us look beyond immediate gratification and focus on longer-term aspirations. When we have a strong sense of meaning, a belief that our lives matter, we are inspired to take care of ourselves, strive for personal growth, pursue ambitious goals, and engage in prosocial behavior.
The report identifies five pathways through which work can provide meaning. Happiness captures how positive emotions contribute to meaningful work. Social connection reflects the belonging, support, and competence we build through relationships with coworkers and mentors. Coherence comes from the routines, financial stability, and shared values that help our work lives make sense. Self-actualization involves the growth, autonomy, and authenticity that let us become fuller versions of ourselves through our careers. And self-transcendence captures the sense that our work helps others or connects us to something larger. Dr. Abeyta reviews the research behind each of these pathways and shows how they come together to shape the extent to which a job provides meaning in our lives.
The report also offers practical recommendations. For organizations, Dr. Abeyta discusses strategies for supporting employee wellbeing, fostering a meaning-promoting organizational culture, and training leaders to build and sustain such a culture. For individuals, he emphasizes the importance of finding roles that fit your values, building strong relationships at work, and developing a resilient meaning-making mindset. Meaning at work is something organizations and individuals have to build together.
I encourage you to read the full report. Whether you are an organizational leader looking to improve employee wellbeing, retention, or productivity, an individual seeking to make your work more existentially fulfilling, or simply someone interested in the relationship between work and meaning, the report offers an accessible review of the relevant research.
This topic feels especially important right now. Some technologists and futurists predict, and in some cases welcome, a future where AI makes most human work unnecessary. On the surface, this may seem like an appealing vision. But this vision misunderstands something fundamental about our existential nature. We are a species driven to create, compete, collaborate, and contribute. We don’t feel our lives matter because circumstances are comfortable or because our needs are passively met. We feel our lives matter when we are actively using our talents and effort to make something happen in the world. As I discussed in a previous newsletter, a meaningful life takes work.
A future in which everything is provided for us, and nothing is asked of us, is not one that we would find meaningful. Technological advances can support meaningful work but they cannot replace the existential need to use our agency in ways that allow us to actively direct our lives and make significant contributions to our families and communities.
The good news is that it appears that most Americans appreciate the importance of meaningful work and are finding it. In the American Psychological Association’s 2025 Work in America survey, 95% of workers indicated that it is important for them to have a job that is meaningful and 92% reported that the work they do is meaningful. And as I detailed in another newsletter, most Americans are also proud of their work and believe it has a positive impact on society.
Our goal should not be to eliminate the need for human work. It should be to create more opportunities for people to pursue meaningful work.
Have a great weekend!
Clay