From Survival to Meaning: Why Every Human Seeks Something Deeper

By Dr. Katie Eastman & Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino

Every human being has basic needs—food, water, safety, and shelter. These needs keep us alive and functioning, but they don’t explain why we get up in the morning, what keeps us striving, or what gives us joy. Beyond survival, there is always a search for meaning. It is in this search that spirituality reveals itself.

Think of the times in life when survival was enough. A crisis happens and you do what you need to do: pay the bills, make the appointments, get through the day. But once the urgency passes, something deeper stirs inside. You want to know: What is this all for? What is the bigger picture? That longing is not accidental—it’s human.

Meaning is what makes us more than just survivors. It’s what turns existence into living. For some, meaning comes through relationships and love. For others, it shows up in creating art, caring for family, pursuing justice, or connecting with nature. Wherever it is found, meaning always points beyond the self and toward connection.

Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, discovered this truth in the harshest possible circumstances. In the concentration camps, where survival itself was nearly impossible, he found strength in his faith and his search for meaning. Frankl wrote that even when everything else is stripped away, we still hold the freedom to choose our attitude and our response. For him, spiritual meaning—rooted in both his faith and his values—was the difference between despair and endurance. His insights remind us that the search for meaning is not only a path through extraordinary suffering, but also a guide we can adapt to everyday life. When we face challenges, big or small, Frankl’s example shows us that meaning can give us resilience, direction, and hope.

For many, religion provides a path to meaning with shared rituals, community, and teachings. These traditions can be profound sources of guidance and belonging. Yet meaning does not require religion. It can be discovered in the ways you live your values every day—in kindness to a stranger, in gratitude for a meal, in the courage to keep going when life is difficult.

Spirituality does not ask you to reject survival. It asks you to see survival as the foundation from which something more beautiful can grow. Once your basic needs are met, the question shifts: How will I live with purpose? It is this very question that invites you into a spiritual life.

✨ Reflection Prompt: What gives your life meaning beyond survival? Where do you feel most alive and purposeful?