First happiness, then meaning. A cross-cultural investigation into well-being dilemmas

Dilemmas in navigating between various aspects of well-being are common, but remain unexplored in psychological research. In this paper, we introduce a novel method of assessing well-being dilemmas and their dynamics. In five studies run across the United States, Poland and Japan, we studied the dilemma between the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of meaning. Our findings revealed common trends across three countries and two research designs: while the majority prioritize happiness, a substantial segment of individuals place a higher value on meaning. Furthermore, these preferences are linked to one’s current state of well-being. As individuals attain a baseline level of both happiness and meaning, the emphasis on happiness diminishes. This suggests a hierarchical framework wherein individuals initially seek to fulfil their happiness before turning their attention to meaningful endeavors. We discuss our findings in the context of previous research on subjective well-being in the cultural context.