Purpose

Definition of Purpose

Despite its prominence in philosophy, theology, and everyday discourse, purpose has emerged only recently as a widely studied psychological construct in its own right. Although the term purpose did appear in numerous psychological writings of the 20th century, it was always used synonymously with other related constructs. For example, in his landmark study of psychological resilience in a Nazi concentration camp, Victor Frankl used the concept of purpose interchangeably with the capacity he called “man’s search for meaning.” Other academic studies of purpose in the 20th century defined the construct as “ontological significance,” “sense of coherence,” and—perhaps most nondescript—“the sense of meaning and purpose.”

In the early 21st century, William Damon and his colleagues developed a definition of purpose designed to provide the concept with clarity for scientific analysis (which requires that all concepts have their own singular semantic features) and to capture the primary ways that the concept of purpose has long been used in nonscientific circles. In this definition, which has been broadly adopted in developmental science, purpose is a long-term goal that combines two essential elements: (a) meaning to the self and (b) an intention to accomplish something of consequence to the world beyond the self. As Roy Baumeister wrote, purpose is a subset of meaning, but it has the additional component of some engagement in the world beyond the self. Such engagement may or may not be altruistic in nature: Certain purposes reflect desires to serve other people, whereas other purposes are driven by discovery, aesthetic, and/or cosmic motives that are not necessarily prosocial.

Purpose is closely related to, but distinct from, identity. Both entail self-understanding, exploration, and commitment. But the central question of identity—Who am I?—is distinct from the central [Page 1791]question of purpose—Why am I taking the actions that I am choosing?

Scientific Study of Purpose Across the Life Span

The scientific study of this more focused and distinctive conceptualization of purpose has burgeoned, particularly in relation to adolescence and emerging adulthood. A wide range of purposes has been identified among young people across various cultures, including building a family, finding and establishing a vocation, serving God or some other faith-related cause, pursuing artistic aims, doing charitable work in one’s own community, and contributing to the broader civic society. But only a minority of youth—studies suggest 20–25%—are fully purposeful. Most adolescents are still searching for meaningful goals to which they desire to actively commit. Emerging adults who are in their mid- to late 20s and have completed their formal education are somewhat more likely to demonstrate fully developed purpose, although its exact prevalence among all adults remains to be determined. Studies in several other parts of the world, such as Brazil, China, and Finland, have shown similar trends to those in the United States.

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