Meaning-making is the psychological process through which individuals interpret situations, events, or relationships to create a sense of coherence and purpose. It is the mechanism by which we bridge the gap between our internal expectations and external realities. By understanding the meaning of meaning-making, we transition from being passive observers of our lives to active architects of our identity and resilience.
Key takeaways
- Meaning is a construct, not a discovery: We do not simply "find" meaning lying in the street; we actively construct it through cognitive processing and narrative integration.
- The gap creates the need: Distress often arises when "situational meaning" (what happened) conflicts with our "global meaning" (our beliefs about how the world should work).
- Resilience requires flexibility: The ability to adjust our worldview to accommodate new information is a hallmark of psychological health.
- Values act as anchors: Successful meaning-making relies on value alignment—ensuring your interpretation of events supports your core principles.
- It is a skill: Like any cognitive protocol, meaning-making can be improved with practice, moving from unconscious reaction to conscious intent.
- Narrative drives identity: The stories we tell ourselves about our past directly influence our future commitment to goals.
The core model
In clinical practice, we often refer to the "Meaning-Making Model" proposed by researchers like Crystal Park. To understand the "meaning making meaning" concept, we must distinguish between two levels of cognition:
- Global Meaning: This encompasses your broad system of beliefs, values, and intrinsic goals. It is your internal framework for how the world operates and your place within it.
- Situational Meaning: This is the immediate assessment of a specific event—interpreting a job loss, a breakup, or a success.
Psychological tension occurs when there is a discrepancy between these two levels. For example, if your Global Meaning includes the belief that "hard work is always rewarded," and your Situational Meaning is "I worked hard but was fired," a fracture occurs. This fracture creates cognitive dissonance and distress.
The process of meaning-making is the work of resolving this discrepancy. You can either change the Situational Meaning (reframing the event: "It wasn't a failure, it was a pivot") or change the Global Meaning (adjusting your worldview: "Hard work increases odds, but does not guarantee outcomes").
This process is deeply tied to identity. When we successfully integrate difficult experiences into our life story, we often see an increase in what we call self-efficacy—the belief in our capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments. You can learn more about this concept in our /glossary/self-efficacy entry.
However, this process involves trade-offs. Adhering too potential rigidly to an old identity can prevent growth, while changing our beliefs too rapidly can lead to instability. The goal is a balanced integration where we acknowledge constraints while maintaining agency.
Step-by-step protocol
This protocol, which I call the "Narrative Integration Framework," is designed to help you consciously process a disruptive event and construct a resilient meaning around it.
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Isolate the Event (The Objective Fact) Write down the event exactly as a camera would record it. Strip away adjectives and emotional interpretations.
- Example: "I received a termination letter on Tuesday." (Not: "I was brutally fired because my boss hates me.")
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Identify the Discrepancy Determine why this event disturbs your peace. What Global Meaning or belief has been violated?
- Prompt: "This event conflicts with my belief that..."
- Analysis: Often, this reveals hidden intrinsic goals or rigid expectations you held about fairness or security.
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Audit for Value Alignment Review your core values. Does your current interpretation of the event align with who you want to be? If you are viewing yourself as a victim, does that align with a value of autonomy?
- Action: Read more about aligning behavior with beliefs in our /topic/self-improvement section.
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Explore Alternative Narratives Generate three different interpretations of the event.
- Narrative A: The catastrophic view (allows you to process fear).
- Narrative B: The growth view (focuses on growth-mindset).
- Narrative C: The neutral, pragmatic view.
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Assess Trade-offs and Constraints Recognize the constraints of reality. You cannot change the past event. Acknowledge what you must give up (e.g., the comfort of your old job) to gain what is next (e.g., the freedom to explore a new field).
- Insight: Every choice involves trade-offs. Accepting the cost is part of the meaning generation.
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Form a Commitment Statement Synthesize your new meaning into a single sentence that directs future action. This moves you from rumination to commitment.
- Example: "While this job loss violates my need for security, I interpret it as a necessary push to pursue a career that better fits my values."
- Tip: If you struggle to stick to this new meaning, you may need to apply our protocol on how to /protocols/increase-focus to keep your attention on the new narrative.
Mistakes to avoid
While meaning-making is powerful, there are common psychological traps:
- Premature Closure: Trying to find the "silver lining" immediately after a trauma. This is often a form of avoidance. Meaning takes time to construct.
- Toxic Positivity: Believing that every event must be inherently "good." Some events are simply tragic; the meaning lies in how we survive them, not in pretending they were positive.
- Ignoring Biology: Trying to do high-level cognitive reframing when your nervous system is in fight-or-flight mode. You must regulate your physiology before you can reconstruct meaning.
- Conflating Meaning with Happiness: Meaningful lives are not always happy lives. Parenting, for example, is high in meaning but can be high in stress.
- Over-identification with Outcome: Tying your identity entirely to external success rather than internal values. For a deeper dive on how personality traits influence this tendency, read our article on the /blog/big-five-personality-explained.
How to measure this with LifeScore
Measuring your capacity for meaning-making is difficult because it is subjective, but we can assess the components that support it, such as cognitive flexibility and vocational fit.
If you are struggling to find meaning in your daily work—a common source of distress—understanding your natural aptitudes is the first step. When your daily tasks align with your cognitive strengths, meaning-making becomes significantly easier.
I recommend taking the Career Aptitude Test. While it focuses on vocation, the alignment it provides often spills over into general life satisfaction.
- Take the assessment here: /test/career-aptitude-test
For a broader view of our scientific approach to measurement, please review our /methodology page.
Further reading
- LifeScore tests
- LifeScore blog
- Topic: self improvement
- Take the career aptitude test test
- Glossary: self efficacy
- Glossary: growth mindset
- Protocol: increase focus
- Methodology
- Editorial policy
FAQ
What is the difference between meaning and purpose?
In psychology, meaning usually refers to coherence—making sense of the past and present (how things fit together). Purpose refers to intention—the goals and direction for the future. You need meaning to understand who you are, which then allows you to form a purpose for where you are going.
Can meaning-making be harmful?
Yes, if the meaning constructed is maladaptive. For example, if a person interprets a rejection as "I am unlovable," they have made meaning, but it is a meaning that damages their self-efficacy and mental health. The goal of therapy is often to reconstruct these maladaptive meanings.
Is meaning-making automatic?
To an extent, yes. Our brains are pattern-matching machines. However, conscious meaning-making—the type that builds resilience—is a deliberate effort. It requires slowing down and examining our automatic thoughts.
How does a growth mindset affect meaning?
A growth-mindset fundamentally changes the "Global Meaning" framework. If you believe abilities can be developed, failure is interpreted as data rather than a permanent indictment of your character. You can find a detailed definition in our /glossary/growth-mindset entry.
Can I change the meaning of an event years later?
Absolutely. This is the premise of narrative therapy. As you mature and your values evolve, you can look back at past traumas or failures and re-interpret them. An event that seemed like a curse five years ago may be viewed as a necessary turning point today.
Does meaning always require high-stakes events?
No. We engage in meaning-making daily. How you interpret a traffic jam (as a personal slight or a random event) or a comment from a spouse is part of the continuous process of creating your reality.
Where can I learn more about LifeScore's content standards?
We take the science of psychology seriously. For information on how we vet our protocols and articles, please visit our /editorial-policy page. For more articles on professional development and vocational meaning, you can explore our /topic/career section.
Written By
Dr. Elena Alvarez, PsyD
PsyD, Clinical Psychology
Focuses on anxiety, mood, and behavior change with evidence-based methods.