Your Journey to Eudaimonia: The Pathway to True Happiness
Imagine you're hiking on a mountain trail. It's challenging; it goes up and down, you sweat, and maybe your feet hurt sometimes, but in the end, you enjoy a fantastic view from the top. That's the journey to eudaimonia - not flat and steady, not always comfortable, but with amazing results. Are you ready to take the first exciting steps? I'm pleased to accompany you a little on your journey. Keep reading, and let's explore the path to a contented and fulfilling life together!
TL;DR
- Eudaimonia is the concept of a good spirit, achieved through applying Stoic virtues.
- It's not about instant gratification. This differs from our modern concept of happiness.
- The opposite of eudaimonia is a life that doesn't strive to be good but pursues instant gratification and external rewards.
- Eudaimonia can be achieved, but it requires patience and constant effort.
Eudaimonia Meaning and Definition
"What is the happy life? It is peace of mind, and lasting tranquillity. This will be yours if you possess greatness of soul; it will be yours if you possess the steadfastness that resolutely clings to a good judgment just reached." Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, On the Happy Life 3
Eudaimonia basically means "good spirit", which is often translated as happiness or well-being. The word itself is derived from the words eu ("good", "well") and daimon ("god", "godlike", "power", "fate", "spirit"). However, those translations don't fit perfectly as they lead to misunderstandings with their modern meanings.
Today, people often believe happiness is a luxurious life without any troubles. Many associate the idea of being content and fulfilled with having a lot of money, fancy possessions, and a generally "easy" or "hang loose" lifestyle. Though there is nothing wrong with striving for these things, it can lead to an unfulfilled outlook on life if one solely focuses on these pursuits.
Thus, a more proper translation for eudaimonia is flourishing.
Eudaimonia is a flourishing, fulfilling, and meaningful human life where one is at peace with themselves and their environment. A life lived well and, especially in Stoicism, a life lived virtuously (lived by a good spirit). It's derived from the practical appliance of virtue, that enables one to absorb and transcend whatever happens and use it according to human nature.
Let's come back to your imaginary mountain trip. You're on your trail, and it starts to rain. Whether you turn around and walk back or keep walking toward the mountaintop doesn't change the fact that it's raining. Whether you complain and get grumpy or enjoy your challenge, it still rains. You either have the chance to see an incredible view from the top (if it stops raining), or you definitely won't enjoy the view when you return. So, you decide not to complain but put on your rain jacket and keep walking. That's the spirit of eudaimonia: accepting what comes your way using your rational mind and finding fulfillment despite external circumstances.
How is eudaimonia different from happiness?
"If you wish for good, receive it from yourself." Epictetus, Discourses 1.29
Happiness is described as a state of well-being and contentment or joy. While happiness can be derived from a eudaimonia, they are not the same. Living a eudaimonic life doesn't guarantee happiness.
To tell you the truth, experiencing non-stop happiness is simply unrealistic. Sorry if nobody told you that before. Everybody will have good and bad times, times with more happiness and times with less. We will always have to deal with unexpected insults or adversities. Compared to happiness, eudaimonia describes a life lived well by a "good spirit". According to Aristotle, this is the highest human good.
But what does "good" mean? Something is good if it fulfills its characteristic function. For us humans, this is reason. That is the one major characteristic that distinguishes us from other living beings. For something to flourish, it must perform its characteristic function well. An eye's excellence lies in its ability to see, a knife's in its ability to cut, and a human's in its ability to use reason. Qualities that allow for good function are considered virtuous or excellent. Arete (we'll come to that soon), for example, is one of those qualities that enables a person to use reason.
This leads us to the following conclusion:
A life lived by virtue (the quality that allows us to use reason) guides our way to eudaimonia.
Picture this: Your trip wasn't a success. It rained all day long, and you had no magnificent view. You feel very exhausted. All you want to do is sleep. But your spouse is already waiting, and what a surprise, ill. After finally dozing off, your baby starts screaming and crying. It's unusual that someone would call this a moment of happiness (in the modern meaning) - it's far from joyful and pleasurable. You're beyond tired, but your spouse is ill, so you do anything to soothe your little one. Now, you could fall into despair and complain or accept fate and embrace your duty as a loving parent. You won't find instant happiness, but through virtuous behavior, you can reach eudaimonic happiness, where you find a deeper sense of meaning and fulfillment.
Is eudaimonia the same as the good life?
No, they are not the same. As mentioned above, eudaimonia means "good spirit", meaning You have a good, virtuous spirit. That spirit can lead to a eudaimonic life which can be described as good life. To cultivate this spirit, you need arete, which you can obtain from adopting a Stoic mindset.
What is the difference between arete and eudaimonia?
At first glance, it may not be immediately clear how eudaimonia differs from arete. The term arete basically means "excellence", but is sometimes also called "virtue". In general, it means the excellence of a person or the outstanding quality and high value of a thing. In Stoicism, arete refers to possessing an excellent and virtuous character. One can attain a flourishing life or eudaimonia by living with arete. Thus, the concept of arete acts as a guiding principle for living a virtuous and fulfilled life - or in short, a eudaimonic life.
In other words, arete is a skill or the ability to use a skill, but eudaimonia is the application of that skill.
To come back to our example. Even if you're tired, you take care of your baby. You act according to the Stoic virtues (wisdom, temperance, justice, courage), and as a consequence, you find peace of mind and fulfill your rational human nature. You're calm in the present moment, and stress just rolls off you because you know you're doing something truly meaningful. You know it is right; your spouse is ill, and your little one is innocent of everything and just expresses their needs. You act with arete by applying the Stoic virtues and unlocking the key to eudaimonia!
What is the opposite of eudaimonia?
A life not guided by reason (not with a "good spirit") is the opposite of eudaimonia. It's a life that doesn't strive to be good but pursues instant gratification, pleasure, and external rewards like money, fame, power, and status. Instead of taking the virtuous path, one decides to indulge in vices (ignorance, cowardice, injustice, intemperance). Of course, it's likely that this doesn't happen on purpose but through a lack of knowledge about what a good life is. Luckily, you're reading this article to gain some understanding!
How to achieve eudaimonia and reach eudaimonic happiness?
The path to eudaimonic happiness is an ongoing journey. A journey where you surely will make mistakes and encounter challenges, setbacks, and disappointments. There is no one-size fits all solution, but understanding what eudaimonia is and how it is distinguished from happiness is a good start. However, I'd like to give you some tips at hand that, fate permitting, will help you navigate your way.
Internalize what eudaimonia is
Journal about it, meditate, talk with other Stoics (at Stoic Buddy, we have a great chat for that), or write a mantra as a reminder.
- Eudaimonia = eu ("good") + daimon ("spirit") = good spirit.
- Arete = Excellence; Excellence of one's character.
- Eudaimonic life = good life, achieved by constantly living with eudaimonia.
- Eudaimonic happiness = is the sort of lasting happiness and peace of mind when one is totally at peace with themself, even in adverse situations.
Cultivate a Stoic mindset
Having the right mindset is essential to achieve eudaimonia. Your mind comes first, and your actions will follow accordingly. Align both, and you're on a good course.
Patience
Reaching eudaimonic happiness requires both patience as well as constant effort. You will have days where you succeed and days where you fall short. You will ask yourself if all the effort is worth it. In such situations, remind yourself that you're on a mountain trail and have yet to reach the top - so keep on going.
Practice Stoicism
One of the main goals of Stoicism is to achieve eudaimonia and live a eudaimonic life. Therefore all Stoic practices are aligned to help you on that journey.
By the way, I haven't reached the mountaintop, too. Feel free to join Stoic Buddy, and let's go on this path together. If you only want to share your experiences and practices, I'd also be happy to hear from you.
Don't waste more time; let go of the usual happiness definition and start living a more flourishing life today by striving toward eudaimonia. Like every exciting journey, it will be challenging, but your experiences and benefits will be worth it!
