A majority (57%) of U.S. adults wonder daily, weekly or monthly about how to find meaning and purpose in their lives, according to a LifeWay Research report published April 6.
This is up six points overall from 2011. Those considering such things each day rose three points to 21%, with weekly reflection up two points to 21% and monthly ponderings increasing one point to 15%.
Only 23% now say this is never something they think about – a five-point drop from a decade ago.
Despite the increases in the number of U.S. adults who regularly consider life’s meaning and purpose, fewer express confidence that there is a higher, or ultimate, purpose, and fewer now make “finding my deeper purpose” a priority than a decade ago.
Less than half (44%) now strongly agree that “there is an ultimate purpose and plan for every person’s life,” and only 24% strongly agree that “a major priority in my life is finding my deeper purposes.”
This is a six-point and seven-point decline, respectively, from 2011.
Similarly, there was a 12-point decline to 31% during this time period of respondents who strongly agree that “it is important that I pursue a higher purpose and meaning for my life.”
There was a 24-point drop to 43% of adults who strongly agree that “there is more to life than the physical world and society.”
The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.2%. The full report is available here.
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