When it comes to finding meaning in life, you need this emotion – Deseret News

When it comes to finding meaning in life, you need this emotion

A new study found hope is a ‘powerful emotional force’

Published: June 25, 2025, 11:39 a.m. MDT

By Lois M. Collins – Lois is a longtime Deseret News special projects and family issues reporter, including health, parenting, aging and policy.

KEY POINTS

• Hope is considered a ‘powerful emotional force’ that gives life meaning, exceeding the benefits of happiness or gratitude, a new study found.
• Psychology directly links hope to motivating somebody, goal setting and accomplishment, according to the researchers.
• Another study indicates hope to be more beneficial than mindfulness for dealing with extended periods of stress.

Reams of stories have been written about happiness and its contribution to a good life. We’ve all heard, too, that gratitude lifts well-being.

And while both effects are backed by science, a new study suggests that a different emotion is even more powerful when it comes to providing life with meaning, bolstering mental health and boosting resilience.

You have to have hope.

The researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia note that hope “isn’t just wishful thinking.” They describe hope as a “powerful emotional force that gives our lives meaning.” And they assert that it “may be even more essential to well-being than happiness or gratitude.”

In a news release about the study, which was published in the journal Emotion, the researchers note that the field of psychology has linked hope to motivation and setting and accomplishing goals. But researchers from the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences report that “hope stands apart as one of the strongest positive emotions that directly fosters a sense of meaning.”

Source Links: https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2025/06/25/hope-not-happiness-key-meaning-life-university-missouri-study/