Meaning & direction
Meaning in Life Test: does your life feel meaningful?
Meaning determines whether your life has direction and significance, or feels empty. Innerscape uses the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ, Steger), which measures two things: how much meaning you experience and how actively you search for it.
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In short
A meaning in life test measures how meaningful your life feels. Innerscape uses the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ, 10 statements) by Michael Steger, which distinguishes two independent dimensions: the presence of meaning (does your life feel meaningful?) and the search for meaning (are you actively looking for it?). The two are separate — you can score high on both, or on neither. Done in about 2 minutes.
What is meaning in life?
Meaning in life is the sense that your life has significance, coherence and direction. It is not about short-term happiness or pleasure, but about something deeper: knowing that what you do matters and fits into a larger whole. People with a strong sense of meaning tend to be more resilient, even when life gets hard.
Psychologists distinguish two sides of meaning that are often confused. One is experiencing meaning: the feeling that your life is meaningful right now. The other is searching for meaning: the active drive to find significance or a purpose. Someone can experience a lot of meaning and still keep searching, or experience little meaning without actively looking for it. Only together do they tell the whole story.
The two dimensions of meaning
Presence of meaning
The extent to which your life feels meaningful right now: that you understand what it is about and have a sense of purpose.
Search for meaning
The extent to which you are actively looking for meaning, purpose or direction — regardless of whether you have already found it.
Because the two dimensions are independent, your combination says more than either score alone. A lot of meaning and a lot of searching suggests a curious, growth-oriented attitude; little meaning and a lot of searching can point to a quest or a crisis.
How do researchers measure meaning in life?
Researchers measure meaning with the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), developed in 2006 by Michael Steger and colleagues. The questionnaire consists of 10 statements, divided across two subscales: presence of meaning and search for meaning. For each statement you indicate on a 7-point scale how true it is of you.
The MLQ is one of the most widely used instruments in research on well-being and positive psychology, precisely because it separates those two dimensions. That lets it capture something simple questions miss: that searching and finding are not the same. Innerscape combines your MLQ profile with seven other scientific questionnaires to show how your sense of meaning relates to your values, your drives and the way you approach life.
You get a score on each subscale: your average on the 7-point scale, with a percentile that compares it with the population.
Why know your meaning profile?
→Resilience— A strong sense of meaning is a buffer against stress and setbacks. Knowing what you do it for helps you keep going when things get hard.
→Direction— Your meaning profile shows whether you have a clear compass or are still searching. Both are legitimate — but it explains why choices sometimes feel easy and sometimes paralyzing.
→Well-being— Meaning is strongly linked to life satisfaction and mental health. A low sense of meaning is often an early signal, before it shows up as low mood.
→The bigger picture— Combined with your values, character strengths and personality, your sense of meaning reveals where meaning comes from for you — and where it is missing.
Written by Remco Volmer, founder of Innerscape.
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Start your journeyFrequently asked questions
Is searching a lot for meaning a bad sign?+
Not necessarily. Searching for meaning and experiencing meaning are two separate dimensions. You can score high on both: experiencing your life as meaningful and still searching out of curiosity. Persistent searching without finding anything can, however, point to unrest.
Can my sense of meaning change?+
Yes. Meaning is not a fixed trait but fluctuates with life stages, events and choices. Loss, a new role or a major change can temporarily tip your sense of meaning.
How many questions does the meaning in life test have?+
10 statements about how meaningful your life feels and how actively you search for meaning. Done in about two minutes.
What exactly does the test measure?+
Two things: the presence of meaning (does your life feel meaningful?) and the search for meaning (are you actively looking for meaning?). Together they form your meaning profile.