How do we live the good life?

Living the good life—eudaimonia, as Aristotle called it—isn't about chasing fleeting pleasures or amassing stuff, but flourishing as a human being. It's subjective, shaped by culture, philosophy, and personal values, but here's a practical framework drawn from timeless wisdom and modern insights to get you started.

Cultivate Virtue and Purpose

Aristotelian Angle: Aim for the "golden mean"—balance between extremes. Be courageous but not reckless, generous but not extravagant. Find your telos (purpose) through self-reflection: What activities make time fly? Pursue excellence in them, whether it's creating art, building relationships, or solving problems.
Stoic Twist: Focus on what you control—your thoughts, actions, and responses. Epictetus said, "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." Practice daily gratitude, mindfulness, and resilience. Detach from outcomes; find joy in the process.
Action Step: Journal nightly: What did I do today that aligned with my values? Adjust tomorrow accordingly.

Nurture Relationships and Community

Humans are social creatures. The Harvard Grant Study, which has tracked lives for over 80 years, found that close relationships are the strongest predictor of long-term happiness—more than fame, wealth, or achievement.
Invest in meaningful connections: Listen actively, show empathy, and build trust. Volunteer or join groups aligned with your interests. Avoid toxic ties that drain energy.
Pro Tip: In a digital age, prioritise face-to-face interactions. A weekly dinner with friends can recharge you more than scrolling social media.

Prioritise Health and Well-Being

Body: Move daily—walk, lift, stretch. Eat whole foods, sleep 7-9 hours, and hydrate. Small habits compound: A 20-minute walk beats an intense gym session you skip.
Mind: Read widely, learn new skills, meditate. Positive psychology (à la Martin Seligman) emphasises PERMA: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment.
Spirit: Whether through religion, nature, or art, seek transcendence. Practices like Franciscan-inspired simplicity—embracing poverty of spirit by letting go of material obsessions—can free you from consumerism's grip, leading to deeper contentment.

Balance Work, Play, and Rest

Work with purpose, but don't let it define you. The good life includes leisure: Hobbies, travel, or just daydreaming. Scandinavians nail this with "hygge"—cozy, simple joys.
Financially, aim for enough to live comfortably without excess. Studies show happiness plateaus around $75,000-$95,000 annual income (adjusted for location); beyond that, it's diminishing returns.
Avoid Burnout: Set boundaries. Sabbaths or "digital detox" days restore your soul.

Embrace Imperfection and Growth

Life's messy. Failures are teachers—Thomas Edison's 1,000 flops led to the lightbulb. Adopt a growth mindset (Carol Dweck): View challenges as opportunities.
Give back: Altruism boosts happiness. Whether through charity, mentoring, or random kindness, it creates a ripple effect.
Final Thought: The good life evolves. Reassess every few years. What worked at 20 might not at 40. Experiment, reflect, iterate.

Want to know more about Eudaimonia?

Etymology and Core Definition

Eudaimonia, a foundational concept in ancient Greek philosophy, literally translates from Greek as "good spirit" or "good daemon," derived from eu (good) and daimon (spirit or deity). It's not just about feeling happy in the modern sense but refers to a state of human flourishing, living well, and achieving the highest human good through excellence and fulfillment. Unlike fleeting emotions, eudaimonia is an active, objective condition of being blessed or fortunate, often tied to virtue and rational living.

Aristotle's Perspective: The Pinnacle of Human Excellence

Aristotle, in works like the Nicomachean Ethics, positions eudaimonia as the ultimate end (telos) of human life—the highest good that's desirable for its own sake, not as a means to something else. He argues that humans, as rational animals, have a unique function (ergon): to live in accordance with reason. Thus, eudaimonia is achieved through virtuous activity of the soul over a complete lifetime, not mere possession of virtues but their active exercise.

Key components include:

Virtue (aretê): Divided into ethical virtues (e.g., courage, justice, temperance) and intellectual virtues (e.g., wisdom). Ethical virtues are habits formed through practice, representing a "golden mean" between excess and deficiency—like courage being the midpoint between rashness and cowardice. They're not innate but developed via upbringing, habituation, and reflection.
Practical Wisdom (phronêsis): An intellectual virtue essential for applying virtues correctly in specific situations. It involves deliberation, perception, and choosing the right action for the right reasons, ensuring virtues aren't rigid rules but are adaptive to context.
External Goods: While virtue is central, Aristotle acknowledges that eudaimonia requires some luck—things like health, wealth, friends, and good fortune—to provide opportunities for virtuous action. Extreme misfortune (e.g., poverty or isolation) can hinder flourishing, though a virtuous person can endure it better.

Aristotle distinguishes eudaimonia from lesser goods: Pleasure (hedonia) is valuable but subordinate, accompanying virtuous activities rather than being the goal. Honour and wealth are tools for virtue, not ends in themselves. Contemplation (theôria), the highest intellectual activity, comes closest to pure eudaimonia, as it mirrors divine reason.

Views from Other Ancient Philosophers

Eudaimonia wasn't unique to Aristotle; it evolved across thinkers, often linking to virtue but with variations:

Socrates: Saw virtue as both necessary and sufficient for eudaimonia. All people desire it innately, and virtues like wisdom and self-control perfect the soul, making life worth living only if just—corruption through vice renders it unbearable.
Plato: In the Republic, eudaimonia stems from justice, creating harmony in the soul. The just person flourishes internally, regardless of external rewards, countering ideas that injustice (e.g., via power or invisibility) leads to happiness.
Stoics (e.g., Epictetus, Seneca): Virtue alone suffices for eudaimonia—a "good flow of life" in harmony with nature. Externals like wealth or health are indifferent; true flourishing comes from moral excellence, unaffected by fortune.
Epicureans (e.g., Epicurus): Equated eudaimonia with pleasure, but a moderated, long-term version—freedom from pain and disturbance (ataraxia). Virtue is instrumental, leading to the greatest pleasure, not an end in itself.

These views form "eudaimonism," where ethics centres on what constitutes a flourishing life, often prioritising virtue over hedonistic pursuits.

Modern Interpretations and Applications

Today, eudaimonia bridges philosophy and psychology, influencing positive psychology's shift from mere happiness to meaningful well-being. It contrasts with hedonia (pleasure-seeking) by emphasising growth, authenticity, and purpose—leading to deeper, more sustainable fulfilment.

Positive Psychology: Martin Seligman's PERMA model (Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment) echoes eudaimonic elements. Carol Ryff's Psychological Well-Being model includes autonomy, personal growth, and purpose in life, directly inspired by Aristotle.
Self-Determination Theory (SDT): Developed by Deci and Ryan, SDT views eudaimonia as self-realisation through innate needs: autonomy (acting authentically), competence (mastery), and relatedness (connections). Fulfilling these via intrinsic goals promotes flourishing, integrating Aristotelian virtue with modern autonomy.
Contemporary Uses: Tools like the Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being measure aspects such as self-discovery and effort toward excellence. Concepts like Japan's ikigai (reason for being) align with eudaimonic pursuits. In ethics, thinkers like Elizabeth Anscombe revived eudaimonism to critique duty-based morals, advocating virtue ethics for human flourishing.

Criticisms include its elitism (requiring education and resources) and subjectivity—what counts as "virtue" varies culturally. Yet, studies show eudaimonic activities (e.g., volunteering, goal perseverance) boost meaning and even positive affect over time.

Pursuing Eudaimonia in Practice

To live eudaimonically, reflect on your "daimon"—your true potential—and cultivate habits: Practice virtues daily, seek balance, build meaningful relationships, and engage in contemplative or purposeful work. Start with self-examination, as Socrates urged: "The unexamined life is not worth living." In a fast-paced world, it might mean unplugging from distractions to focus on what truly fulfils you. What aspect resonates most—virtue-building, modern psych tools, or ancient debates?