Meaning in Work

In his now classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl eloquently argued that “Man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a ‘secondary rationalization’ of instinctual drives. This meaning is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone; only then does it achieve a significance which will satisfy his own will to meaning” (1985: 121). Because of my own research on meaning in work, I frequently ask people the questions, “what do you believe is the meaning of life?” and “what is a meaningful life for you?” and I receive a wide variety of responses. For some, what constitutes a meaningful life is relatively clear and easy to identify and achieve (e.g., family); for some it is an elusive goal, while others do not even want to think about the question. Subsequently, if I ask the question “what is the meaning or impact of your work?” I get responses ranging from “simply a way to make money” to “the most important part of my life.” It is great when work is very meaningful to us however this also puts a great deal of pressure on our work life. Additionally, when work is our primary source of meaning in life, we are extremely vulnerable to what happens in the workplace each day. Whereas some people may want their work to be very meaningful, others may simply want work that they enjoy and that fits well with their non-work life. The “right” choice of work is dependent on the individual determining what he or she needs from work. Ultimately, the pieces that make up a life, especially one’s work life, must fit coherently together in order for one to feel that life is meaningful. And inevitably there will be ebbs and flows in a life and other aspects of life will emerge which will affect work.