Psychological Richness & A Good Life
A Good Life
What defines a good life? How do you know if you have one? Is it happiness? Or perhaps having purpose and meaning? Are there other variables we should consider?
We have often, intentionally or not, created a bit of a binary picture of what it means to live a good life. On one end is happiness and the desire to feel good and get what we want through the pursuit of pleasure and positive-affect, driven strongly by an aversion to pain and discomfort. On the other end of the dichotomy is meaning and purpose, a sense of working for something greater than ourselves, often achieved through discipline and suffering "for the greater good", be it in sport, religion, love, academia, career, or other things we worship and believe are worthy of self-sacrifice.
These two concepts, happiness and meaning, seem to cover a broad base of drivers that motivate us in life. Yet, if you're like me, something still feels like it is missing. As it turns out, something is missing. Recent psychological studies have found that there is a third dimension to how we pursue and define a good life: psychological richness.
What is Psychological Richness?
Distinct from happiness and meaning, psychological richness is “a life characterized by a variety of interesting and perspective-changing experiences” (Oishi & Westgate, 2022 ).
Characteristics of a Psychologically Rich Person
Psychological richness was found by the above researchers to be desirable by a non-trivial number of people around the world, and to have different correlates and causes. People who value and experience psychological richness embody:
Curiosity (about others, the world, ideas, and more; ask versus tell)
Openness (to ideas, experiences, others)
Intense Emotionality (they experience emotions intensely)
The study found that there is a very strong correlation between psychological richness and "openness" as defined in the big five personality traits. People who exhibit openness are also generally curious about the world around them, excited about trying new things, inviting of challenge, embracing of struggle and growth, and often creative thinkers. Many characteristics of openness correlate with a growth mindset, generating exploratory thinking and behaviour, non-attachment (mindfulness), and a sense of wonder. These things are not always comfortable, in fact often very uncomfortable, but can be deeply fulfilling and facilitate growth.
Characteristics of a Psychologically Rich Life
How do we know if we have psychological richness? What can we do to foster it? Characteristics of a psychologically rich life are distinct front those of a happy life (comfort, security, joy) and a meaningful life (significance and purpose). Characteristics of a psychologically rich life include:
Variety (unique, unusual experiences)
Perspective Shifts (learning, changing your mind)
Interest (interesting and novel experiences)
The research conducted by Oishi & Westgate on this topic utilized a tool called “A Psychologically Rich Life Questionnaire” (see resource below) investigating the above characteristics and validating their consistent presence people who identify as have psychologically rich lives.
Psychological Richness Applied
Reflecting on my own life, I find psychological richness is a major driver and motivator for me (not surprising as a person with two psychology degrees, I suppose…). When I consider areas, experiences, and opportunities that contribute to my psychological richness, some examples include: working as a therapist (curiosity about others, being challenged to apply my expertise to peoples’ lived experiences); running ultra marathons (curiosity about the limits of my body and ability to push beyond my perceived limitations); learning to climb (understanding gear, terminology, strategy and technique); teaching myself my grandpa’s harmonica; moving to a new city and learning the local geography, culture and community; traveling, doing a master’s degree in a new subject after already being a decade deep into another profession; starting to draw and sketch again after a 20-year break; and listening to various podcasts (ex. Re Thinking, How I Built This, Front Burner, Hidden Brain, and Stuff You Should Know) that teach me about new concepts, ideas, innovations, and problems. Just to name a few.
Alternatively, negative life events I have experienced including divorce, loss, illness and suffering of loved ones, and my own injuries (i.e. rupturing my achilles tendon or breaking my dominant hand) and the growth, learning, experiences and adaptations I have had as a result have also fostered psychological richness.
These are just some of my own personal examples, but in addition to these events, it is also equally as important that I, and others, approach these experiences with openness and curiosity. Being open to novel experiences - physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, environmentally, or otherwise - can facilitate stimulation, change and growth in ways that are foundational to psychological richness.
Not Mutually Exclusive
Happiness, meaning, and psychological richness are also not mutually exclusive. It is my opinion that all three have their place (within one person) in the good life, though the balance of need and expression may be different for each of us.
What makes your life happy? Meaningful? Psychologically rich? Consider how these concepts might influence what you define for yourself as a good life, and how being aware of them might shape your pursuit.
Today’s Resource
Today’s Resource is “A Psychologically Rich Life Questionnaire” if you are curious to see the tool used by Oishi & Westgate in their research as well as consider these items as a reference point for yourself and your life.
