Hello again, and welcome to another day practicing pandemic resilience. As a positive psychologist, I have spent a lot of time learning/investigating how people can live their best lives. That is hard to do in a pandemic, which is why I started this blog. To help us all access our inner strength (even if you didn't think you had any) to do our best and be our best in the midst of this 2020 chaos.
As a doctoral student, I had the great privilege to study under Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a prolific researcher and writer on topics near and dear to my heart, and those of many positive psychologists. He taught me a lot about the universal theories and the individual differences of flourishing, and one topic that has really resonated with me is hedonic vs. eudaimonic happiness. So, today I am going to share the science on these two concepts with you!
Hedonic happiness can be described as the pursuit of or experience of pleasure or enjoyment, and is often related to consumption. While pleasure and enjoyment are vital to living a good life, they, like so much of human existence, need to be balanced with eudaimonic happiness, which is often described as the pursuit or experience of meaning and purpose.
Hedonic happiness is typically short-lived, so you must constantly seek out new experiences to maintain it, which is where the term 'hedonic treadmill' originated. I am a runner, and I have occasionally had to force myself to run miles on a treadmill. If you have ever done this, you probably know how awful the experience can be. For me, and many others, running on a treadmill is boring and monotonous, and you typically find yourself staring at the digital readout of your performance data. Or, you cover that dashboard with a towel so you don't stare at it. Which means you are counting steps or seconds in your head to guess what the dashboard might be tracking. It really sucks the joy out of running. You work hard, sweat a lot, and you never really 'go' anywhere. That is a lot like the hedonic treadmill. You work hard, sweat a lot (literally or figuratively), but you never really get anywhere. You are constantly 'chasing' happiness: "I will be happy when I get that promotion/nicer car, raise, bigger home, perfect partner..." The problem is, when you get that 'thing' you identify as the benchmark for your happiness, you enjoy it for a while, and then you set another goal that will be the thing that brings you joy and happiness. You are always running on the treadmill in pursuit of happiness, but you never experience it, at least not for long.
Just like I prefer to run my miles outside, I also prefer to get off the hedonic treadmill and pursue eudaimonic happiness instead.
Eudaimonic happiness is really not 'happiness' the way we think of it today. Aristotle and other early Greek philosophers spoke of eudaimonia as a state of flourishing by living a good life in terms of ethics, values, and meaning. A more accurate translation of modern eudaimonia would not be the fleeting kind of happiness we have grown to understand, but more of a life long string of experiences that reflect the pursuit of meaning, including the not so pleasurable moments that are difficult but meaningful. Raising a family, working hard at a job that you find purpose-driven, taking care of your aging parents or a sick partner. These are not always easy endeavors, but they are incredibly meaningful and contribute to our sense of contentment of a life well lived, or eudaimonia.
This is all great, right? But we are in the middle of a pandemic, and all that nice philosophical stuff might seem to be irrelevant as we try to make sense of our lives in our current state of the world. Worry about not having a job, or having a job that puts your life at risk. Having enough money to pay the rent or mortgage. Wondering if you will have groceries or healthcare. Developing a strategy in case you catch COVID-19. Attempting to participate in meaningful discussions or actions regarding civil unrest or politics. There is a lot going on right now that makes thinking about 'happiness' or 'contentment' a bit of a luxury. I get that. I feel that way some days, too. But, research tells us that people who commit to a eudaimonic life approach, with a little hedonia in there for good measure and memories, are more likely to remain optimistic when times get tough, are more likely to be compassionate to others and themselves, to help others, to have a stronger immune system (which means living longer and healthier), and when times are good, are more likely than their hedonic-committed counterparts, to be successful in their adult lives (in work and love) and to report being satisfied with life.
Sounds like we need more people like that right now, don't you think? When there is so much hatred, divisiveness, illness, death, unemployment, hunger, and uncertainty in the world, optimism, compassion, and helpfulness toward ourselves and others is in high demand. So, step off the hedonic treadmill. Focus on finding and pursuing meaning in your life. Recognize that the consumptive distractions of a hedonic lifestyle are exhausting and rather fleeting, while eudaimonia is much more contented and rejuvenating.
Tomorrow I will talk more about eudaimonia and how to live a life with that sort of focus. It is possible, even now. It is important, even now. More now than ever. Hang tight. Read on, tomorrow. Until then....
Be well, stay safe, and take care.
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