Category: Meaning

Finding Meaning Reading Poetry

By Brad Bell

Reading poetry may be beneficial for a few reasons. One of these reasons may be that it fosters a sense of meaning in life. In my book, Finding Meaning (2007), I describe seven sources of finding meaning in life. One of these sources is purpose. We may find a sense of purpose in life partly by learning something new.

Some poems may provide insights concerning experiences and ideas that can be viewed as life wisdom. For example, consider the following poem (in quotes) in my book, To Look Beyond the Surface (Bell, 2025):

“The Meaning of Everyday Joy

Gazing intensely
at an amazing sunset.

Laughing at the ironies
of mundane life.

Experiencing tears of joy
with unexpected good news.

Feeling a sense of tranquility
walking in the woods.

Experiencing vicarious joy
when helping a stranger.

Being fascinated
with the discovery
of new ideas.

Feeling blissful
with a free-flowing
conversation.

Experiencing joy
creating a unique
abstract painting.

Listening intensely
to an amazing song.

Feeling happy knowing
you have no worries
at the present time.

These everyday reflections
open our eyes to see
what is beyond
the opaque surface.

Our eyes brighten with
amazing glimpses
of the sparkling images
emerging from a vast ocean
of everyday joy.”

The above poem seems to convey the idea that joy can stem from a number of experiences in everyday life. This may be considered reflecting important life wisdom. It may suggest that we should focus on what is significant about everyday experiences to find greater joy. This greater joy might foster a greater sense of purpose in one’s life.

References

Bell, B. (2007). Finding meaning (3rd edition). Portland, Oregon: Blue Fox Communications.

Bell, B. (2025). To look beyond the surface. Portland, Oregon: Blue Fox Communications.

Meaning as a Primary Motive

By Brad Bell

What are we striving for?  What is our most important motivation?  These are some of the most important questions we could ask.  It is important to gain an understanding of possible primary motives in psychology.   Frankl (1992) suggested that the search for meaning is a primary motivation.  This idea may be convincing for two reasons.  First, for something to be a primary motive it should be fairly general.   In other words, the primary motive should reflect a number of specific motives. Finding meaning in life may reflect specific motives, such as the desire to express creativity, be authentic, and have a purpose in life (see Bell, 2007). (1)   Second, for something to be a primary motive it should explain behaviors in many situations, including behaviors in difficult and unpleasant situations.   Although behaviors in situations that are pleasant can be explained in many ways, it is more difficult to explain why we would persist at something in situations that are unpleasant with few external rewards.  For example, we may persist at a task even though we are experiencing failure and difficulty.  Moreover, we may keep a job even though the pay is low and the job is very stressful.   Some theories of motivation (e.g., based on incentives) may not be able to adequately explain these behaviors.  In contrast, these behaviors may make sense if we consider that finding meaning in life is a primary motivation.   Some jobs and tasks may be highly meaningful even if they are significantly unpleasant, difficult, or have few external rewards. For example, a job as an executive director may not be high paying and may be very stressful.  However, it may be highly meaningful because of the potential to make a lasting contribution to society. Moreover, a writer may persist at writing articles and books even though he or she has received many rejections. Writing may be very meaningful because it is challenging and fosters self-expression.

Notes

1.  My book, Finding Meaning, (3rd edition) has information on seven possible sources of finding meaning in life. This book is available at lulu.com.

References

Bell, B.  (2007).  Finding meaning (3rd edition).  Portland, Oregon:  Blue Fox Communications.
Frankl, V. E. (1992). Man’s search for meaning:   An introduction to
logotheraphy (4th edition).  Boston:  Beacon Press.

.