The Definition and Why It’s Good for You

Studies across different age groups and different populations all lead to one major health benefit when it comes to purpose: You’ll live longer, Schaefer says.

And it doesn’t matter whether you’re 20 or 70-plus, Schaefer adds: “Those people who have a higher purpose in life are less likely to be dead when followed up.”

This particular study focused on older adults and included people of various demographics and with various chronic conditions. It showed that across a relatively wide swath of people, purpose improved survival.

That means whether it comes to disease, accidents, suicide, or other factors, having a sense of purpose seems to be protective and promote longevity, Schaefer says.

Hill says that there may be a few reasons behind this link between purpose and longevity.

One, he says, is that people who have a sense of purpose may be less distracted by daily events (and potential stressors). As he puts it, if you feel you have a path in life, you may be less stressed by the small stuff that hinders those who may not have as clear a sense of direction. It’s not that you don’t face those hindrances (the spilled coffee or tough conversation), but it’s less likely they’ll ruin your day.

Another reason purpose may boost health, Hill says, is that people with a strong sense of purpose tend to take better care of themselves, whether through how they eat, how active they are, how much alcohol they drink, or how often they go to the doctor.

Another key study, also conducted with the Rush Memory and Aging Project, took a different approach. Researchers used interviews and assessments of cognitive function, as well as sense of purpose, while participants were still alive, then autopsies of their brains (which the participants had agreed to) after they’d died.