Editing Meaning of life (section)

===Psychological significance and value in life===
Researchers in [[positive psychology]] study empirical factors that lead to life satisfaction,<ref name=":6">E. Diener, J.J. Sapyta, E. Suh (1998). "Subjective Well-Being Is Essential to Well-Being." ''Psychological Inquiry'', Lawrence Erlbaum.</ref> full [[flow (psychology)|engagement]] in activities,<ref name="Csíkszentmihályi, Mihály 1990">Csíkszentmihályi, Mihály (1990). ''Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience''. New York: Harper and Row. {{ISBN|0-06-092043-2}}.</ref> making a fuller contribution by using one's personal strengths,<ref name=":4">Peterson, Christopher; Seligman, Martin (2004). ''Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-516701-5}}. {{cite web |title=See brief summary |url=http://www.meaningandhappiness.com/psychology-research/list-of-personal-strengths.html}}</ref> and meaning based on investing in something larger than the self.<ref>Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). ''Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment.'' New York: Free Press. {{ISBN|0-7432-2297-0}}. Paperback edition, 2004, Free Press, {{ISBN|0-7432-2298-9}}.</ref> Large-data studies of [[flow (psychology)|flow]] experiences have consistently suggested that humans experience meaning and fulfillment when mastering challenging tasks and that the experience comes from the way tasks are approached and performed rather than the particular choice of task. For example, flow experiences can be obtained by prisoners in concentration camps with minimal facilities, and occur only slightly more often in billionaires. A classic example<ref name="Csíkszentmihályi, Mihály 1990"/> is of two workers on an apparently boring production line in a factory. One treats the work as a tedious chore while the other turns it into a game to see how fast they can make each unit and achieves flow in the process.

[[Neuroscience]] describes [[reward system|reward]], [[pleasure]], and [[motivation]] in terms of neurotransmitter activity, especially in the [[limbic system]] and the [[ventral tegmental area]] in particular. If one believes that the meaning of life is to maximize pleasure and to ease general life, then this allows normative predictions about how to act to achieve this. Likewise, some ethical naturalists advocate a [[science of morality]]—the empirical pursuit of flourishing for all conscious creatures.

[[Experimental philosophy]] and [[neuroethics]] research collects data about human ethical decisions in controlled scenarios such as [[trolley problems]]. It has shown that many types of ethical judgment are universal across cultures, suggesting that they may be innate, whilst others are culture-specific. The findings show actual human ethical reasoning to be at odds with most philosophical theories, for example consistently showing distinctions between action by cause and action by omission which would be absent from utility-based theories. Cognitive science has theorized about differences between conservative and liberal ethics and how they may be based on different metaphors from family life such as strong fathers vs nurturing mother models.

[[Neurotheology]] is a controversial field which tries to find neural correlates and mechanisms of religious experience. Some researchers have suggested that the human brain has innate mechanisms for such experiences and that living without using them for their evolved purposes may be a cause of imbalance. Studies have reported conflicting results on correlating happiness with religious belief and it is difficult to find unbiased meta-analyses.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Lu|first1=Jun|last2=Gao|first2=Qin|date=2017-05-01|title=Faith and Happiness in China: Roles of Religious Identity, Beliefs, and Practice|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1372-8|journal=Social Indicators Research|language=en|volume=132|issue=1|pages=273–290|doi=10.1007/s11205-016-1372-8|s2cid=148091125|issn=1573-0921}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite journal|last1=Rizvi|first1=Mohd Ahsan Kabir|last2=Hossain|first2=Mohammad Zakir|date=2017-10-01|title=Relationship Between Religious Belief and Happiness: A Systematic Literature Review|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0332-6|journal=Journal of Religion and Health|language=en|volume=56|issue=5|pages=1561–1582|doi=10.1007/s10943-016-0332-6|pmid=27909930|s2cid=1389245|issn=1573-6571}}</ref>

[[Sociology]] examines value at a social level using theoretical constructs such as [[Value theory#Sociology|value theory]], norms, [[anomie]], etc. One value system suggested by [[social psychology (psychology)|social psychologists]], broadly called [[Terror Management Theory]], states that human meaning is derived from a fundamental fear of death, and values are selected when they allow us to escape the mental reminder of death.

Alongside this, there are a number of theories about the way in which humans evaluate the positive and negative aspects of their existence and thus the value and meaning they place on their lives. For example, [[depressive realism]] posits an exaggerated positivity in all except those experiencing depressive disorders who see life as it truly is, and [[David Benatar]] theorises that more weight is generally given to positive experiences, providing bias towards an over-optimistic view of life.

Emerging research shows that meaning in life predicts better physical health outcomes. Greater meaning has been associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sutin |first1=DAR |last2=Luchetti |first2=M |last3=Aschwanden |first3=D |last4=Stephan |first4=Y |last5=Sesker |first5=AA |last6=Terracciano |first6=A |title=Sense of meaning and purpose in life and risk of incident dementia: New data and meta-analysis. |journal=Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics |date=February 2023 |volume=105 |pages=104847 |doi=10.1016/j.archger.2022.104847 |pmid=36347158 |pmc=10015423 | issn = 0167-4943 }}</ref><ref name=":0">Boyle PA, Buchman AS, Barnes LL, Bennett DA. Effect of a purpose in life on risk of incident Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older persons. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2010;67:304–310.</ref> reduced risk of heart attack among individuals with coronary heart disease,<ref name=":1">Kim E, Sun J, Park N, [[Laura Kubzansky|Kubzansky L]], Peterson C. Purpose in life and reduced risk of myocardial infarction among older US adults with coronary heart disease: A two-year follow-up. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. (2):124–133.</ref> reduced risk of stroke,<ref name=":2">Kim ES, Sun JK, Park N, Peterson C. Purpose in life and reduced incidence of stroke in older adults: The Health and Retirement Study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2013;74(5):427–432.</ref> and increased longevity in both American and Japanese samples.<ref>Boyle PA, Barnes LL, Buchman AS, Bennett DA. Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2009;71:574–579.</ref> There is also growing evidence for a small decline in purpose in life in the early stages of cognitive impairment.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sutin |first1=Angelina R. |last2=Luchetti |first2=Martina |last3=Stephan |first3=Yannick |last4=Terracciano |first4=Antonio |title=Change in Purpose in Life Before and After Onset of Cognitive Impairment |journal=JAMA Network Open |date=13 September 2023 |volume=6 |issue=9 |pages=e2333489 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.33489 |pmid=37703016 |pmc=10500383 |issn=2574-3805}}</ref>

In 2014, the British [[National Health Service]] began recommending a five-step plan for mental well-being based on meaningful lives, whose steps are:<ref>{{cite web|date=21 December 2017|title=Five steps to mental wellbeing|url=http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/improve-mental-wellbeing.aspx|work=nhs.uk}}</ref>

# Connect with community and family
# Physical exercise
# Lifelong learning
# Giving to others
# [[Mindfulness]] of the world around you