Damon's book "The Path to Purpose" was the result of Damon's twenty-five-year research program on personal identity and character in human development. The book has been widely cited as the first scientific treatment of how young people find fulfilling purposes in life. "The Path to Purpose" presents Damon's vision of how schools and parents can help young people find elevated goals to dedicate themselves to, and it contains a critique of prevalent "short-horizons thinking" in today's culture that fosters cynicism and anxiety rather than inspiration, optimism, and faith.