In times such as these, people might be asking themselves “what makes a life a good one” more than usual.

Times are tough, but according to psychologists, that doesn’t mean you have to give up the hope of a life well-lived.

There have always been two schools of thought on what makes a happy life – one that emphasizes feeling happy, and another that stresses a greater meaning, virtue, and purpose.

Psychologists are proposing a third road to happiness, though – one that focuses on “psychological richness.”

Associate Professor of Psychology Erin Westgate explains in a statement how the idea came about.

“This idea came from the question: Why do some people feel unfulfilled even when they have happy and meaningful lives? We found that what was missing was psychological richness – experiences that challenge you, change your perspective, and satisfy your curiosity.”

Psychologists say this richness can be earned through any sort of experience that alters your perspective. This could be traveling, leaning something new, reading a great book, or spending time really diving into different kinds of art.

And if you’re thinking this has to be something on a grand scale, experts say that’s not necessarily the case – and that it doesn’t have to be a positive experience, either.

“A psychologically rich life can come from something as simple as reading a great novel or hearing a haunting song. College is a good example. It’s not always fun, and you might not always feel a deep sense of meaning, but it changes how you think. The same goes for experiences like living through a hurricane. You wouldn’t call it happy or even meaningful, but it shakes up your perspective.”

That age-old belief that experiences build resilience, and resilience builds happier and more stable minds, seems to be important here.

“We’re saying don’t forget about richness. Some of the most important experiences in life are the ones that challenge us, that surprise us, and that make us see the world differently. Even if they are not always pleasant.”

Westgate’s colleague, Shigehiro Oishi, agrees that the “good life” is going to look differently for each person.

“What’s the ideal life look like? I think it requires self-reflection. What you want is some comfortable, pleasant life and a happy life, or you really want to make a difference in the world? Or you want to experience a lot of different kinds of things regardless of the positive or negative outcomes of it.”

To support their theory, the pair and their teams tracked how people responded to different challenging situations. Their results suggest that a person’s personality, and even politics, plays a large role in your preference for a certain path to the “good life.”

In fact, your openness to experience is the number one predictor associated with a psychologically rich life. The more conservative a person was, the more they tended to believe happiness is what makes life more meaningful.

So if you’re feeling a little low, or wondering what the meaning of it all is, it might be time to gaze down at your navel, just for awhile.

Think about how open you are to new experiences, and if you are, maybe go out and try something new.

It certainly can’t hurt.

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