In today’s fast-paced and success-driven society, the pursuit of happiness often seems like an elusive goal. Many of us are conditioned to measure our well-being through the lens of tangible achievements such as income, social status, or career milestones. However, as both Morten Albaek in “One Life: How We Forgot to Live Meaningful Lives” and Viktor E. Frankl in “Man’s Search for Meaning” suggest, true fulfilment comes from a deeper source — having meaning and purpose in our lives.
Rethinking Happiness Metrics
The 2024 World Happiness Report that came out earlier this year offers a comprehensive look at global happiness trends, using factors like GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perception of corruption to rank 140 countries in their level of happiness. Despite Finland being ranked the happiest country for the seventh year in a row, their suicide rates per capita are still high, making it easy to criticise the World Happiness Report’s metrics for providing an incomplete picture.
Albaek argues that the report focuses on quantitative data and overlooks the qualitative aspects of life that truly contribute to human happiness. He highlights the necessity of incorporating emotional, spiritual, and existential dimensions into our understanding of well-being and suggests that we need to shift from a superficial understanding of happiness to one that recognizes the importance of meaning and purpose.
The Role of Meaning in Our Lives
Viktor E. Frankl, a holocaust survivor and psychologist, emphasizes that mental health and well-being are rooted in the tension between what one has achieved and what one still strives to accomplish. This inherent tension is indispensable to mental health, as it challenges individuals to find and fulfil their potential meaning. Frankl contends that what people need is not a state of equilibrium or balance, but rather the motivation and struggle toward a worthwhile goal.
Frankl introduces the concept of the “existential vacuum” — a state where individuals feel a lack of meaning. This vacuum manifests as boredom, depression, aggression, and addiction. He urges us to recognize that fulfilment comes not from the absence of tension but from the meaningful pursuit of our goals. This might be a tendency we can see in the World Happiness Report findings as well — the metrics measured could also support the absence of tension, which might not be the foundation for happiness.
Supporting Meaning in the Workplace
I believe that in today’s society where we are pushing for work-life balance, and asking people not to be defined by their job or title, it is instead crucial to address the need for meaning in our professional lives and see this as an extension of our unique quest for meaning. We spend around 55% of the time we have on earth working and can see a shift in happiness levels across different life stages when people are changing their roles in life and redefining their place and meaning to life. This meaning can be supported both within and outside professional roles but is a fundamental reason for people to be happy. Not doing the easy thing, but having a meaning for doing the hard things in life. Having a reason to wake up early in the morning, and having a meaning to the daily mundane tasks.
To be a supporting workspace creating meaning for people can therefore be crucial for creating happiness in the world. Encouraging employees to seek and fulfil their personal and professional goals can create a more engaged and motivated work environment. This involves creating a work environment that values meaningful contributions. The workplace’s role in supporting people in finding meaning and purpose is enormous and should not be thought of lightly. As we navigate the complexities of modern life, true fulfilment lies not in the pursuit of happiness alone but in the meaningful journey towards our goals and aspirations. Together, we can create a work culture that respects and supports the quest for meaning and enriching peoples’ whole lives, instead of having people chase the illusional ‘work-life’ balance for happiness.
