Are social dominance and aggression completely harmful to an individual's meaning in life? An explanation from the perspective of external value

The current study investigated the relationship between social dominance orientation (SDO), aggression, sense of superiority, external value and meaning in life (MIL) in a sample of 291 college students. Results showed that SDO and aggression positively correlated with sense of superiority and external value. Mediating effect analysis revealed that SDO could satisfied an individual's external value through the mediating role of sense of superiority or the chain mediating role of aggression and sense of superiority, thus enabling people to experience MIL. These results play an important role in understanding MIL. External value may be the most important source of an individual's MIL. All behaviors that help individuals obtain external values can enable them to acquire MIL, even if some of these behaviors violate the moral rules that society upholds.