In Pursuit of a Meaningful Life: 10 Scientific Insights Shaping Our Lives in 2024

Baltas Group

The year 2024 was a year to rethink what it means to live a meaningful life. Scientists have presented a series of inspiring insights that can guide our daily lives and enhance our individual happiness. From discovering happiness beyond material wealth to the transformative power of empathy and forgiveness, from the impact of natural spaces on our mental health to concrete steps that can be taken to protect democracy. In addition, many practical findings that touch our lives, such as parent-child relationships, the importance of reconnecting with old friends, and even the contribution of a daily practice of just 20 seconds to our mental health, were among the highlights of this year. In the light of scientific discoveries, 2024 was a year in which we learned a lot about the essence of being human. In this article, we will share with you 10 important insights this year on living a meaningful life.

1. We miss important happiness insights by ignoring indigenous cultures
   The impact of having more money on happiness has long been a controversial topic. Some studies suggest that money does not bring happiness, while others argue the opposite. However, a study published in 2024 by Eric Galbraith from McGill University and his team gives a new perspective to this question. The study examines the life satisfaction of nearly 3,000 people from 19 small and mostly rural communities in Asia, Africa and South America. The vast majority of these communities do not rely on a cash economy and their income is measured by the value of their assets. Interestingly, these people, who live on less than $1,000 a year, seem quite satisfied with their lives (6.8 out of 10). 2022 Gallup Anketi’ndeki insanlar yılda en az 25.000 dolar kazanana kadar bu kadar mutlu değillerdi. Bu bulgular, geleneksel dünya mutluluk anketlerinden dışlanan toplulukların mutluluk ve refah konusundaki deneyimlerinden öğrenilecek çok şey olduğunu hatırlatıyor. Moreover, they emphasize that happiness is shaped not only by material wealth, but also by social ties and lifestyle. Factors such as living in a more connected community, being closer to nature or experiencing lower inequality contribute to people's happiness.
   
2. Old friendships, a hidden source of connection and increased well-being
   A 2024 study shows that the great opportunity to reconnect with old friends is often missed. The study of more than 2,500 people from the US, UK and Canada found that only less than a third of people have ever sent a message to an old friend. This is despite knowing that doing so would make both them and their friend happy. Their biggest barriers were worries that their friends would no longer want to hear from them, or that it would seem awkward. The researchers emphasize that such thoughts increase hesitation and stifle people's desire to reconnect. Even reminding people how meaningful it would be to send a small message or framing it as an act of kindness was insufficient to completely dispel these concerns. Ancak bir yöntem işe yaradı. People who practiced this behavior by sending a few text messages to current friends and acquaintances were more encouraged to reach out to old friends. The research shows how our assumptions can determine our relationships, and that connecting with old friends can be a much more meaningful experience than we think.
   
3. A 20-second practice is an effective solution for stress and mental health
   Our busy and stressful lives put us at risk of burnout, but we may not need to put in long hours to improve our mental health. A study published in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy reveals that just 20 seconds of daily self-compassionate touch can reduce stress, anxiety and depression. In the study, 135 young adults practiced self-compassionate touch or manual dexterity every day for a month. Self-compassionate touch involved placing one hand on your heart and the other on your stomach, while the dexterity exercise involved tapping between the fingers in a specific pattern. Participants completed questionnaires measuring self-compassion, stress and mood during the intervention. The results showed that the self-compassion touch group developed more self-compassion and experienced less stress, anxiety and depression. The researchers emphasize that such micro-practices are easily sustainable and can have major impacts on well-being.
   
4. We feel better emotionally not only in green spaces but also in places with biodiversity
   Spending time in natural environments can improve mental health, especially for city dwellers. A new study shows that this positive effect is strongly associated with biodiversity. In a study of 2,000 people worldwide, researchers from King's College London found that when people see and hear natural elements such as trees, plants, birds and water in green spaces, they are less stressed and anxious and feel happier and more energized. The study also found that this effect was more pronounced in places with higher biodiversity, and that people's mental health improved when they saw more and different elements in nature.
   
5. Forgiveness strengthens your mental health in all circumstances
   Forgiveness is often seen as a difficult concept, but it can have profoundly positive effects on mental health. Two important 2024 studies show that forgiveness can improve mental health when taught on an individual level and through community programs. The first study involved around 4,600 people living in countries experiencing internal conflict and found that forgiveness reduced depression and anxiety. The second study showed that a community-wide forgiveness campaign on a university campus in Colombia reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety by making participants more willing to forgive. This research proves that forgiveness is far more beneficial than holding on to hostility, and that learning to forgive can be an important mental health tool for all communities.
   
6. Empathy is a skill passed down from generation to generation
   Empathy is a bond not just between individuals, but across generations. A 25-year study in 2024 showed how empathy is passed down from parents to children and then to grandchildren. In the study, their mothers' empathy towards their 13-year-old children influenced the empathy that the young people showed to their friends and, in later years, to their own children. Teens who received more empathy from their mothers tended to show more empathy to both their friends and their own children. These findings suggest that empathy not only strengthens relationships between individuals, but also plays a role in intergenerational interaction. It was also emphasized that fathers' sensitivity to their children's needs is as important as mothers' sensitivity.
   
7. Humble teachers strengthen students' sense of learning and belonging
   Classrooms are designed to promote learning, but students often hesitate to reveal what they don't understand, which negatively impacts the learning process. So how can we help students to admit what they don't know, that is, to show “intellectual humility”? A 2024 study shows that teachers modeling intellectual humility themselves has a powerful impact. The study examined the relationship of nearly 300 students with their teachers' intellectual humility. The results showed that students who had teachers who were accepting of their mistakes, open to learning and receptive to different approaches were more accepted in the classroom, more comfortable demonstrating intellectual humility and more engaged in lessons. In addition, students' grades improved significantly as a result of their teachers' humble demeanor. This study highlights that teachers' modeling of these behaviors contributes greatly to students' development of their own humility.
   
8. Early exposure to misinformation can make children more resilient in the future
   It is virtually impossible to keep children completely free from misinformation, so teaching them to think critically may be a more effective approach. A study published in Nature Human Behaviour shows how children can turn misinformation into an opportunity when confronted with it. In the study, children aged 4-7 were presented with information, some true, some false, and then exposed to new, fact-checked information. Children who had previously heard misinformation were more active in questioning and verifying the new information. The more they were exposed to incorrect information, the stronger their verification efforts were.
   
9. Talking to someone with whom you disagree may be better than you think
   Talking to someone with whom you disagree is not as bad as we often think. Research from 2024 reveals that conversations with someone who disagrees on a controversial topic are often more positive than expected. People imagine that such conversations will be unpleasant, but in reality they enjoy them, bond more than they expected and like the person more. One reason for this misperception is that online discussions are often negative and polarizing. Face-to-face conversations, however, offer a more emotionally balanced and positive experience. These findings suggest that disagreements make the perceived polarization of society seem worse than it is, and that open dialogue can actually be beneficial for both individuals and society.
10. Effective and evidence-based ways to defend democracy
    Amid deep political divisions in the United States, a comprehensive study published in Science offers promising solutions to protect democracy. Researchers tested more than 250 suggestions for reducing partisan hostility and anti-democratic attitudes and identified the most effective methods. These included messages that emphasized the shared values of people of different political persuasions, events that encouraged collaboration, and data showing that support for democratic values was higher than previously thought. The most successful solution was to correct misperceptions by reminding participants of the commitment to democracy of individuals with opposing views through concrete evidence. This approach significantly reduced support for both political violence and undemocratic practices, demonstrating the potential of democracy to provide common ground. The year 2024 demonstrated once again that scientific research can be a guide to a meaningful life. We learned that strengthening the bonds of community over material wealth, emphasizing human virtues such as empathy and forgiveness, communing with nature and engaging in dialogue despite differences of opinion can contribute to individual and societal well-being. These insights remind us that our individual efforts can be the cornerstones of a collective transformation. These discoveries about the essence of being human not only enrich our lives, but also support our responsibility to build a more just, sustainable and harmonious world.

Source

Newman, K. M., Suttie, J., Simon-Thomas, E. R., Abdullah, M., Hopper, E., Lempinen, E., & Smith, J. A. (2024, December 19). The top 10 insights from the science of a meaningful life in 2024. Greater Good Science Center. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_top_10_insights_from_the_science_of_a_meaningful_life_in_2024