[6] Logotherapy emphasizes finding values and purpose in an individual's life, and building relationships with others in order to reach fulfilment and attain meaningfulness.
[7] In order to deal with their inevitable death, humans attempt to leave their mark in some symbolic act of immortality within the structured society.
Through the structured society we are able to create a symbolic immortality which can take various forms, e.g., monuments, theatrical productions, children, etc.
When one considers themselves to be socially excluded, one's sense of purpose, efficacy, value, and self-worth are all indirectly diminished.
[13] On the other hand, in another systematic review, a more specific type of meaning, a purpose in life, was associated to reduced mortality and cardiovascular events.
[14][15] Another meta-analysis found that purpose in life was in average slightly lower in older age-groups compared to younger ones.
When confronted with the stress of such a death those men, who were able to find meaning in the loss, were subject to less rapid declines in CD4 T cell levels.
Thus in experiencing a stressful life event if one is able to engage successfully in finding meaning there is a potential link to positive immunological benefits and health outcomes.
[19] Another study found that difficulty, health, purchasing power, and a focus on the present corresponded more to happiness than meaning, while thinking about the past or the future, struggle, stress, worry, argument, anxiety, generosity, and viewing daily activities such as raising children as reflective of oneself corresponded more with finding life meaningful.
In this regard, some people may find meaning in life through the mere appreciation of valuable things, for example, by worshipping God.
[38] Some theorists with a nihilistic outlook accept the basic premise that life is meaningless and provide suggestions on how to best cope with this fact.
A leap of faith implies committing oneself to a new system of meaning, such as a religious doctrine, even though one does not fully understand it yet.
[42][38] The idea behind this approach is that the individual may come to see and experience their life as meaningful from the perspective of this new system of thought and thereby avoid the existential crisis.
[38] However, this approach may not be available to more rationally minded people and is often criticized based on its blind affirmation of a creed not properly understood or justified.
A different approach for more rationally inclined individuals is to search and evaluate new sources of meaning based on proper reflection and personal experience.
[38] This contrasts with other approaches that seek to uncover the cosmic meaning of life on the largest scale or the purpose of the world as a whole.
[5] Psychological adjustment in the event of a stressor has been linked with meanings finding whether in the form of benefit seeking or making sense of the loss.
In terms of how meaning is manifested, making sense of the loss seems to be more important earlier on in the adjustment process after the loss whereas perceiving the benefit may be a more long term process that occurs over time with the greatest benefit usually experienced later on (Davis, Nolen-Hoeksema & Larson, 1998).
[6] Based on systematic reviews, there are various promising therapies and interventions that focus on increasing meaning or purpose in life.