People predict that buying a house will make them much more satisfied with life.
The habits that lead to a healthier and happier mind.
Happiness can be compatible with being materialistic under the right circumstances.
“People say that they enjoy their work, but…people are happier doing almost anything other than working.”
Do you know someone who always agrees, no matter what they really think?
Givers tend to focus overly on how modest the gift is, while the recipient concentrates on the warm feeling they get.
A lower subjective than actual age is linked to a number of benefits.
The activity may raise feel-good neurotransmitters and boost mood.
A sense of purpose is powerful as it is linked to living a longer, healthier and happier life.
These films help people make sense of problems in life and accept the human condition.
These films help people make sense of problems in life and accept the human condition.
Meaningful films help people cope with life’s problems, research suggests.
People report that movies like The Shawshank Redemption, Up and Schindler’s List, help them to make sense of problems in life and accept the human condition.
Other films rated as meaningful include Hotel Rwanda and Slumdog Millionaire.
While these films are not necessarily uplifting, they are all moving and poignant.
And that is the key to a meaningful film: having an emotional range, being inspirational and containing both happy and sad moments.
People did not report these types of benefits when they watched other well-regarded but not so meaningful films like Catch Me If You Can and The Big Lebowski.
Mr Jared Ott, the study’s first author, said:
“Meaningful movies actually help people cope with difficulties in their own lives, and help them want to pursue more significant goals.”
For the study, over 1,000 people rated different films — 20 of which were chosen for being highly meaningful, while the other 20 were not (see below for the full list).
Professor Michael Slater, study co-author, explained the results:
“We found that people felt better able to make sense of difficulties in their own life when they recalled a movie that focused on values that were important to them.”
Films which were more meaningful, people said were more likely to help them:
People thinking about meaningful films were also more likely to agree with statements like:
The research also showed the importance of individual values.
People found more meaning in films that espoused values they themselves believed in.
Mr Ott said:
“That happened even when the movie was classified as one of the less meaningful films.
The findings suggest why many people see movies as more than just entertainment.
Some films may help people cope and grow through difficult periods in their life.
And people may recognize this effect years after they have seen a particular movie.”
Here is the full list of more meaningful films, in no particular order:
The less meaningful films used in the study:
The study was published in the journal Mass Communication and Society (Ott et al., 2021).
Join the free PsyBlog mailing list. No spam, ever.
