Being present: Witnessing landmark historical events boosts meaning in life

Abstract

Although not everyone shapes history, everyone is present as it unfolds. Recognizing oneself as a witness to history may become especially important in an era marked by frequent landmark events. In this research, we locate individuals in the ongoing process of history and examine its existential benefits. Specifically, we hypothesize that witnessing history (i.e., the subjective sense of witnessing or being present as history unfolds) enhances meaning in life, both in terms of the presence of meaning and the search for meaning. Through five investigations, using a multi-method approach that includes large-scale field data from Weibo (2,317,527 posts) alongside experimental and field studies (N = 1,945), we found that witnessing history contributes to or increases presence of and search for meaning. Further, connectedness to history mediates the effect of witnessing history on the presence of meaning, and a broadened perspective mediates its effect on the search for meaning. Our research provides a novel insight into how situating individuals within the ongoing progress of history can benefit their meaningful existence, and highlights the importance of cultivating a historical awareness and preserving historical heritage.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Tim Wildschut: orcid.org/0000-0002-6499-5487

ORCID for Constantine Sedikides: orcid.org/0000-0003-4036-889X

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