Part 7/17:
Meaningfulness arises when an event not only advances an individual along their goal trajectory but also enhances the likelihood of future success. For instance, opening an acceptance letter from medical school is not just about the immediate outcome but also about how it potentiates subsequent steps. The emotional impact springs from perceiving that this event is a portal—an entry into a different future state—that triggers a radical emotional transformation.
This perception activates rapid, almost subconscious, responses that surpass the immediate recognition of surface details. The whole event becomes a symbolic gateway, transforming perception into emotion, and emphasizing how deeply intertwined perception, expectation, and emotion are in human experience.