Eudaimonic well-being refers to a concept in positive psychology that focuses on living a meaningful and purposeful

life. Unlike hedonic well-being, which is associated with the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain,
eudaimonic well-being emphasizes the pursuit of meaningful activities, personal growth, and self-realization.

Key components of eudaimonic well-being include:

1. Meaning and Purpose:

- Eudaimonic well-being is often linked to having a sense of meaning and purpose in life. This involves engaging
in activities that contribute to personal growth and align with one's values and beliefs.

2. Self-Actualization:

- The realization of one's potential and the pursuit of personal goals are integral to eudaimonic well-being. This
involves striving for excellence, continuous improvement, and self-discovery.

3. Autonomy and Personal Development:

- Eudaimonic well-being is associated with a sense of autonomy and the ability to make choices that lead to
personal development. It involves actively shaping one's life in line with one's authentic self.

4. Personal Growth:

- Eudaimonic well-being recognizes the importance of ongoing personal development and growth. This can occur
through learning, facing challenges, and adapting to new experiences.

5. Positive Relationships:

- Meaningful connections and positive relationships contribute to eudaimonic well-being. Building and maintaining
supportive social connections enhance overall life satisfaction.

6. Contributions to Others:

- Acts of kindness, altruism, and contributing to the well-being of others are considered essential for eudaimonic
well-being. Engaging in activities that go beyond personal pleasure can lead to a sense of fulfillment.

The term "eudaimonia" has its roots in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly Aristotle's ethical philosophy, where it
is often translated as "flourishing" or "fulfillment." Eudaimonic well-being highlights the importance of a purpose-
driven life, personal growth, and the pursuit of excellence as fundamental aspects of a fulfilling and meaningful
existence.

What Are Eudaimonic & Hedonic Wellbeing?

There is no universal agreement on the precise meanings of the terms eudaimonic and hedonic wellbeing. We can
broadly define eudaimonic wellbeing as a function or orientation toward “growth, authenticity, meaning and
excellence” (Huta & Waterman 2014, p. 1448).

Hedonism comes from the Greek word hedone, which means pleasure (Harper, n.d.a). Hedonic wellbeing, by
contrast, is usually discussed in terms of experiences, a focus on desire fulfillment and pleasure seeking, and the
presence of positive affects and the absence of negative ones.

In other words, hedonic happiness is about maximizing pleasure and minimizing displeasure. It is a subjective form
of wellbeing, measured by cognitive evaluations of life satisfaction and by the predominance of negative or positive
affect. It also tends to be associated with sensual desire fulfillment, although it can take other forms, too.

The debate about eudaimonic vs. hedonic wellbeing usually contrasts self-fulfillment with maximizing pleasure;
value- and virtue-oriented living with prioritizing enjoyable experiences; and designing for long-term flourishing vs.
seeking short-term gratification. But the matter is more complex than that.
Eudaimonic Hedonic

Self-fulfillment Maximizing pleasure

Virtue-orientated living Prioritize enjoyable experiences

Long-term flourishing Short-term gratification

The Greek word eudemonia combines the words eu, meaning good, and daemon, meaning lesser god, guiding spirit,
or tutelary deity (Harper, n.d.b). It has also been translated as “true self.” We can think of eudemonia as the condition
of being in “good spirits” or striving toward a divine state of being.

Eudemonia has been translated as happiness, wellbeing, welfare, thriving, fulfillment, or flourishing (Deci & Ryan,
2008; Huta & Waterman, 2014; Heintzelman, 2018). In the popular imagination, eudemonia is also firmly linked to
the notion of the “good life.” Aristotle considered eudemonia as humanity’s highest good.

Crucially, Aristotle did not think of eudemonia as a modality of happiness as we understand it today — a fleeting
state of joyous arousal or a subjective, pleasurable state of wellbeing.

Instead, Aristotle (2009) firmly connected eudemonia with the concept of virtuous living. The eudaimonic life is one
of virtuous activity, exercised in accordance with reason. It is also oriented toward excellence.

Aristotelian eudemonia, then, is not a passive state, but consistent activity that reflects virtue and excellence, strives
to exhibit the best within us and to develop our potentials, and involves the exercise of reason.

The scholar Edith Hall (2018) defines eudemonia as a state of mind we can achieve by practicing virtue ethics. Huta
and Waterman (2014, p. 1426) propose that eudemonia reflects the “pursuit of virtue, excellence, and the best within
us.”

Waterman (2011) also emphasizes the importance of fulfillment in his studies on eudemonia. He holds that self-
realization and the identification and development of our best potentials are the most significant element of
eudemonia.

In the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Hursthouse and Pettigrove (2022, para. 23) define eudemonia as a
“moralized or value-laden concept of happiness, something like ‘true’ or ‘real’ happiness or ‘the sort of happiness
worth seeking or having.’” They also rightly point out that it is a concept about which there can be considerable
disagreement, for most people have very different views on what constitutes the “good life.”

The Greek philosopher Epicurus also cared a great deal about happiness. Yet his views differed greatly from
Aristotle’s. He believed that the good life is by definition oriented toward hedonism, maximizing pleasurable
experiences and minimizing pain and discomfort (Wilson, 2015).

Epicurus firmly held that pleasure is the only intrinsically good thing and that pain is the only intrinsically bad thing
on earth. In Epicurus’s books, a good life is one that is filled with as much pleasure, delight, and ecstasy as possible
and relatively free from pain or distress (Wilson, 2015).

Henderson et al. (2013, as cited in Jenkins et al. 2022, p. 2) have shown that hedonic wellbeing “is associated with
increased positive affect, vitality, and life satisfaction, and that hedonic-oriented (i.e., pleasure-seeking) behaviors
are associated with reductions in negative affect, depression, and stress.”

Human flourishing

Seligman (2011) and Peterson et al. (2005) similarly argue that eudemonia should not just entail identifying our
unique virtues and developing them. Crucially, we also have to put these strengths to work for the greater good and
the welfare of humanity at large.
At the face of it, then, eudaimonics in the Aristotelian vein seem to make more sensible choices for flourishing in the
long run than do hedonists. However, it is important to note that lives completely devoid of hedonic pleasures are
also not worth living.

Such lives become sterile, frigid, and joyless. Anhedonia is not a condition anyone wishes to aspire to. Schotanus-
Dijkstra et al. (2016) found that people who truly flourish have high levels of both eudaimonic and hedonic
wellbeing.

Flow

Flow theory is another important concept in this context. First named by Csíkszentmihályi in 1975, flow can be a
highly energizing, pleasurable, even ecstatic state, too (Csíkszentmihályi, 1990). We can experience moments of joy
and delight not just from hedonistic sensual pleasures such as sex, drink, and food, but also from skillful activities
that require high concentration and that are associated with long-term flourishing.