Mattering

Feeling that our life is meaningful - that we add value to the world and are valued by the people around us, isn’t just a good feeling, it's a fundamentally necessary one.

Episode 8 of the How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality podcast, hosted by PRX, titled "Mattering" was published on January 25, 2026 and runs 34 minutes.

January 25, 2026 ·34m · How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

Summary

Feeling that our life is meaningful - that we add value to the world and are valued by the people around us, isn’t just a good feeling, it's a fundamentally necessary one. In fact, the need to matter is a universal human motive, second only to the needs of food and shelter.  On this episode we'll talk to author Jennifer Wallace about her new book on the topic of mattering, why we’re in a “mattering deficit,” the worrying impact this is having on our physical and emotional health, and what we can do to change that. And Duke researcher Patty Van Cappellen will share studies showing how spirituality and religious community can instill a deep sense of meaning in life that contributes to true human flourishing.  Jennifer Wallace is an award-winning journalist and the author of Mattering. You can find more about her work on her website. Patty Van Cappellen, Ph.D., is an associate research professor at the Social Science Research Institute and the Department for Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University.

Episode Description