Humans are an existential species. We need to believe that our lives have meaning. Currently, young people too often receive cultural messages that undermine meaning. They are told that they have little control over their lives, that they are products of history, genetics, and luck, not free agents able to make the world a better place for themselves and others. Paradoxically, it is often at institutions of higher education, the places that should be allies in the pursuit of meaning, where these messages are sent. It is there where arguably the most privileged humans in history are encouraged to indulge feelings of helplessness and victimhood, to reject, instead of improve, the civic, religious, and economic institutions that helped past generations build a better world, and to view their society as inherently oppressive and evil.

This cultural nihilism won’t help us solve the problems of our time. It won’t reduce poverty or help individuals and families build wealth. It won’t make communities safer, more just, or more prosperous. It won’t cure diseases or combat climate change. And it won’t help us recover economically from the COVID-19 pandemic. It won’t do any of these things because by undermining meaning, it undermines the human agency that is necessary for individual and societal well-being. If we want current and future generations of Americans to thrive psychologically, socially, and economically, we need to promote cultural messages and public policy that focus on the human need for meaning in life.