Self-transcendence and Meaningful Work

Meaningful work is often linked to self-transcendence, but the concept remains unclear. This chapter argues that the subjective experience of meaningful work, centered on significance and purpose, leads to understanding meaningfulness as the realization of human potential by connecting inner and outer life along spiritual and social dimensions. It proposes a conceptualization of self-transcendence that emphasizes the intersubjective nature of meaningfulness, raising questions about where meaning is created, how transcendence relates to work tasks, and what a transitory, ineffable state means for research. A shift in future research is needed to understand the self-transcendent nature of experienced meaningfulness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Self-transcendence is a concept often evoked in different approaches to meaningful work, but which lacks clarity. This chapter considers how the subjective experience of meaningful work, centering on significance and purpose, gives rise to the idea of meaningfulness as the realization of human potential, by connecting the inner and the outer life along spiritual and social dimensions. It points to a conceptualization of self-transcendence that places greater emphasis on the intersubjective nature of meaningfulness. This raises questions such as: if meaningfulness is self-transcendent, where and how is meaning created? If transcendence denotes “beyondness” of the here and now, what does this mean in terms of the nature of work tasks and roles? If self-transcendence is an ineffable, transitory state, what might this mean for research into meaningful work? A shift in the emphasis of future research is necessary if we are to understand the self-transcendent nature of experienced meaningfulness.