Meaning and Purpose Scale
Your Name:_______________________________________
Today's Date:______________________________________
0=Not at all
2=Only a little bit
4=Somewhat
6=Moderately
8=Strong
10=Very strong
Finding sources of meaning, purpose, and direction in life is a skill, or set of skills, that can be developed over time. Please rate how strong a sense of meaning, purpose, or direction you are currently able to get from each of the following sources.
_____1. The wish to figure out ways to make life satisfying and fulfilling for myself.
_____2. The wish to figure out ways to make life better for other people.
_____3. My relationships with present family members.
_____4. The relationships I have now with people outside the family.
_____5. The family relationships I hope or plan to have someday.
_____6. The relationships with people outside the family I hope or plan to have someday.
_____7. The things I already do that are fun and pleasant and fulfilling and that I look forward to.
_____8. The fun and interesting and fulfilling activities I hope to find and do some day.
_____9. My determination to be a “survivor” -- to show myself or others that I can prevail despite hardship.
_____10. My hopes and plans to make the future better.
_____11. My curiosity to find out more -- my drive to learn more about the world and life.
_____12. My curiosity to figure out how to make the best life possible.
_____13. My wish to learn to do things, to gain skills, that are useful and/or fun.
_____14. My wish to be successful at earning a living.
_____15. My wish to be financially secure -- to save enough money that I don't have to worry about having enough.
_____16. My wish to take advantage of the interesting things that life has to offer.
_____17. My interest in or appreciation of reading.
_____18. My interest in or appreciation of music.
_____19. My appreciation of being in nature.
_____20. My interest in or appreciation of any of the arts -- movies, dance, drawing or painting, etc.
_____21. The facts that conditions of humanity are in great need of improvement, and that I may be able to contribute toward improving things in some way, even if just a little bit.
_____22. When I have unavoidable suffering, finding meaning from being able to bear suffering courageously.
_____23. When I have unavoidable suffering, finding meaning in demonstrating to others how to handle suffering well.
_____24. Getting help from others as well as giving help to others, and appreciating how people are interdependent.
_____25. A wish or drive to be physically fit.
_____26. A wish to keep physically healthy.
_____27. A wish to gain power and influence to protect myself from any who would do me harm.
_____28. My wish to gain power and influence to make good things happen for myself and for other people.
_____29. My wish to be appreciated or admired, to be someone that people look up to.
_____30. A wish have a good romantic relationship.
_____31. A wish for people to find me a desirable person to have a relationship with.
_____32. My present enjoyment of chatting, social conversations, social interaction.
_____33. My hopes for future enjoyment and skill in chatting, social conversations, social interaction.
_____34. My current enjoyment of games, sports, or competitions.
_____35. My hopes for future success in games, sports, or competitions.
_____36. The wish to be kind, nurturing, or protective to nonhuman animals.
_____37. The wish to be kind, nurturing, or protective to people in unfortunate circumstances.
_____38. My wish to be a good partner in a relationship with someone -- loyal, kind, honest, etc.
_____39. Interest in food choice and preparation and enjoyment of food, for myself and/or others.
_____40. Religious, spiritual, or philosophical sources of meaning in life.
_____41. A sense of wonder at the universe and the fact that life can even exist.
_____42. A sense of belonging to groups, for example religious group, clubs, sports teams, work teams, etc.
_____43. My wish to accomplish, to achieve.
_____44. My enjoyment of entertainments that people have devised.
_____45. My wish to find wise and healthy ways to escape or avoid bad conditions of life that I have become familiar with.
_____46. My enjoyment of comedy and humor, either being funny myself or appreciating other people's being funny
_____47. A quest to find ways to relieve some suffering that I am experiencing or have experienced.
_____48. A quest to keep others from suffering in some ways that I have suffered.
_____49. My sense of freedom of choice -- that even if I make mistakes, I can make choices that influence how my life goes.
_____50. A quest to become really expert at something worth doing really well.
_____51. The quest for good grades at school and/or good evaluations at work.
_____52. Traveling to and exploring new places.
_____53. Preparing for performances, and performing them.
_____54. Social activism, working for a cause.
_____55. Writing.
_____56. Getting new ideas.
_____57. Cultivating a garden or orchard or farm or other activities with plants.
_____58. Being kind and nurturing to children.
_____59+. Other:_________________________ .