A model of purpose: From survival to transpersonal purpose

Abstract

Although previous research has shown a strong association between a sense of purpose and well-being, this research has tended to treat purpose as one conceptual entity, without investigating different types and levels of purpose. After summarising some of the previous research on purpose, and suggesting reasons why it is associated with well-being, this paper presents a model of different varieties of purpose, including ‘survival’, ‘self-accumulative,’ ‘altruistic/idealistic’, ‘self-expansive’ and ‘transpersonal’ purposes. Transpersonal purpose can be sub-divided further into three different aspects: spiritual development, creativity and altruism/idealism. Examples of these different aspects are given. Preliminary questionnaire-based research based on this model of varieties of purpose is summarised, suggesting that it is valid to highlight these different varieties, and that they are associated with different levels of self-reported happiness.