People consider their lives meaningful if they have a system of goals and values that tells them what is good or worthwhile for them to do. They also need to have a general understanding of how the world around them functions and how they and their activities fit in with that world. That provides them with a prospect of potential courses of action that would allow them to achieve their goals concretely. It also gives them a sense of connection, knowing which external resources they can rely on and how their actions can contribute to the larger whole.