Chapter 14 - The Terror Management of Meaning and Growth: How Mortality Salience Affects Growth-Oriented Processes and the Meaningfulness of Life

Abstract

In contemplative moments with family or friends, the reader may have heard the phrase “death is a part of life.” It seems that this expression is at times meant to inspire acceptance of death’s inevitability. However, in other instances, it may also be utilized to shake one into deeply considering the trajectory of one’s life and to assess whether it is providing fulfillment, purpose, and a sense of lasting significance. Death is indeed a part of life; but, life is also a part of life. And, even against the backdrop of death’s inevitability, people appear readily able to get on with experiencing a life characterized by feelings of purpose, significance, growth, and authenticity. In this chapter, we explore some of the ways that terror management theory (TMT) has been used to understand the psychological processes that shape how concerns about personal mortality influence growth-oriented outcomes and the perceived meaningfulness of one’s life. As such, the chapter offers insights into what has traditionally been viewed as an antagonistic relationship between death awareness, on the one hand, and psychological flourishing on the other. Does death awareness always threaten the meaningfulness of one’s life? Are closed-mindedness and dogmatic commitments to preexisting knowledge and beliefs the only effective means for dealing with concerns about death? Answers to such questions are no doubt complex, but TMT-inspired research has begun to carve out empirically tested approaches to resolving them.