wellbeing is different from 'happiness'. Happiness can come and go in a moment

1. FUNCTIONING WELLFUNCTIONING WELL
Previous lecture focussed on feeling good
(hedonic) component of SWB.This lecture will
focus on functioning well (eudaimonic)
component of SWB

2. Hedonic vs Eudaimonic WBHedonic vs Eudaimonic WB

3. 1. Happiness (hedonic vs eudaimonic1. Happiness (hedonic vs eudaimonic
perspectives)perspectives)
 Hedonic perspective on happiness has positive
emotions & life satisfaction (SWB) at centre of its
definition of “the good life”
 However question can be asked if all pleasures are
necessarily good for you & a stepping stone toward
greater well-being?
 Kupperman (2006) provides 6 myths regarding the
“good life” to be learned from history…
 So a life spent in pursuit of happiness is not necessarily
good for you
 True happiness may only be achieved as a by-product of
focusing on things other than our own happiness?

4. Eudaimonic happinessEudaimonic happiness

5. 2. Early roots of eudaimonic perspective2. Early roots of eudaimonic perspective
Debate over what constitutes “living well”
started BC:
- Epicureus
- Aristotle
More contemporary psychologists Rogers &
Maslow seem to feel that “living well” would
constitute development into a fully functioning,
self-actualizing individual by living in line with
your true self & by developing, using &
expressing your talents & strengths while
contributing to the greater good

6. 2.1 Definition for eudaimonic well-being2.1 Definition for eudaimonic well-being
 So far it is clear that hedonic activities will make you
feel good in the moment, while a life in pursuit of
eudaimonic happiness will make you feel right & will
make you function well for longer period of time
 Thus the eudaimonic perspective has a moral/ethical
component distinguishing it from hedonic happiness
 McMahan & Estes (2011) – eudaimonic happiness = the
sense of authenticity, meaning, self-actualization & well-
being that a person derives from living a life in line with
his true self. This life is meaningful in its expression of
his unique personal set of values & offers opportunity
for self realization in optimal development of his skills,
talents & strengths

7. 3. Constructs & processes associated3. Constructs & processes associated
with a “life well lived”with a “life well lived”
The following collection of constructs &
processes are related to eudaimonic well-
being:

8. 3.1 Authenticity: living in line with your3.1 Authenticity: living in line with your
core valuescore values
 In order to live an authentic life you have to know your
core values & become what you are
 You have intrinsic values (eg interpersonal
connections & personal growth) & extrinsic values (eg
financial success & physical beauty) – orientation
towards intrinsic values leads to higher levels of self-
reported well-being, better adjustment & performance
in tasks (thus more eudaimonic happiness (EH))
 Get to know your identity & find appropriate ways to
express this identity from adolescence onwards - EH

9. 3.1 Authenticity: living in line with your3.1 Authenticity: living in line with your
core valuescore values
Your culture & context can also have an impact
on your values which leads to EH
People with EH in both individualist &
collectivist cultures pursue goals to make
themselves happy rather than others
Difference here – pursuit of interdependent
goals (focused on pleasing self, parents &
friends) EH for people in collectivist cultures &
pursuit of independent goals (focused on own
enjoyment) EH for people in individualist
cultures

10. 3.2 Personal growth & self3.2 Personal growth & self
realizationrealization
Eudaimonia also entails the growth towards
excellence
Maslow already indicated with his hierarchy of
needs that there is an underlying potential
inherent to all human beings & that unleashing
this potential (actualization) could have a
positive impact on well-being
Rogers also indicated that all humans have a
need to expand themselves through
development of their potentials which leads to
EH

11. Maslow’s hierarchy of needsMaslow’s hierarchy of needs

12. 3.2 Personal growth & self3.2 Personal growth & self
realizationrealization
What are the routes toward self-
actualization?
- Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory
- Being confronted with novel & difficult
situations
Beware of the Jonah complex in realizing
your potential (your fear of success
because of other peoples’ reactions…)

13. Fredrickson’s broaden-and-buildFredrickson’s broaden-and-build
theorytheory

14. 3.3 Vitality & zest for life3.3 Vitality & zest for life
Some activities make you feel enthusiastic &
invigorated (vitality)
Vitality = the positive feeling of having energy
available to the self
Research has associated vitality with reports of
feeling enthusiastic, alive, vigorous & energised,
higher levels of performance, persistence in
difficult tasks & growth & self-actualization (thus
vitality leads to EH)
Note: vitality is a limited resource

15. 3.4 Time perspective3.4 Time perspective
 As human beings we have the ability to be conscious of
time & its progression
 This impacts on how we think, feel & behave
 Time perspective = a person’s cognitive way of relating
to the psychological concepts of past, present & future
 Your time perspective can influence whether you
experience time poverty or time affluence (time affluence
leads to EH)
 People with future time perspective (orientation) tend
to formulate long term goals – they experience EH
 Also signs that people with balanced time perspective
experience EH

16. Animals live only in here-and-nowAnimals live only in here-and-now

17. 3.5 Goal-directed behaviour3.5 Goal-directed behaviour
Having specific goals seem NB in experiencing
EH
Goals = desired future states that people seek
to obtain, maintain or avoid
Goals serve as concrete points of reference for
directing one’s behaviour in fulfilment of needs
– creating meaning & purpose
2 Goal categories can be identified:
- Approach goals
- Avoidance goals

18. 3.6 Flow3.6 Flow
 When doing something you enjoy you feel you’re acting
with focused & intense involvement (flow)
 Flow = experience of effortless action because what
you feel, want & think are synchronised with result that
you are completely absorbed in what you do
 Flow may be experienced as
enjoyment/focus/absorption during various activities
such as reading, listening to music, creative activities,
sport, work…leading to EH
 Experience of time = often distorted during flow

19. 3.7 Self-regulation3.7 Self-regulation
 Self regulation = systematic process of behaviour that
involves setting of personal goals & steering behaviour
toward achievement of established goals
 Executive functioning = required for self-regulation
 Self-regulation requires 3 types of action
- Self monitoring
- Self-control
- Adjusting
 Self-regulation = NB eudaimonic strength as it helps
you to function autonomously & to adapt

20. 3.8 Mindfulness3.8 Mindfulness
 Mindfulness = receptive attention to & awareness of
present events & experience
 The more mindful you are, the more healthy, adaptive
& valuable your behaviour
 Ingredients of mindfulness:
- Clarity of awareness
- Non-conceptual, non discriminatory awareness
- Flexibility of awareness & attention
- Empirical stance toward reality
 More mindful people experience EH

21. 3.9 Living a life of meaning & purpose3.9 Living a life of meaning & purpose
 Meaningfulness = Frankl – He who has a why to live for
can bear with almost any how
 Meaning in life = extent to which people comprehend,
make sense of or see significance in their lives + degree
to which they see themselves to have a purpose,
mission or aim in life
 4 Ingredients for meaningful life:
- Sense of purpose
- Feelings of efficacy
- Actions that have positive value
- Sense of positive self-worth
 Presence of sense of meaning in your life has many
benefits…

22. 3.9 Living a life of meaning & purpose3.9 Living a life of meaning & purpose
Meaning and different life stages – more
meaning experienced in later stages; more
search for meaning in earlier stages
It seems to get happiness in life, you should
forget about it & pursue meaningful activities &
relationships - this will lead to experience of
happiness as a by-product
So sense of meaning leads to eudaimonic well-
being
Sources of meaning?

23. Amount of happiness experiencedAmount of happiness experienced
due to meaning?due to meaning?

24. 3.10 Constructive coping3.10 Constructive coping
Coping = constantly changing cognitive &
behavioural efforts to manage specific external
&/internal demands taxing/exceeding resources
of a person
Examples of coping strategies: planning,
distancing, self-controlling, seeking social
support etc
Different coping strategies: problem focused;
emotion focused & avoidance strategies
Most NB ito effective coping = was coping
strategy applied flexibly

25. 3.11 Posttraumatic growth3.11 Posttraumatic growth
Trauma can’t always be avoided – anyone can
become victim of crime, natural disaster,
accident etc
Negative reaction to trauma = PTSD
Meaningful growth & development = also
possible because of trauma (posttraumatic
growth)
Posttraumatic growth = positive changes in
persons that occur as a result of attempts to
cope in the aftermath of traumatic life events

26. 3.11 Posttraumatic growth3.11 Posttraumatic growth
 For posttraumatic growth to occur:
- the loss must be disruptive to your sense of
identity/purpose/understanding of the world
- you must make sense of the loss & experience
yourself as changed & improved
- you must attribute the change to working through the
experience
 Consequences of posttraumatic growth:
- the loss has produced something of value
- best & worst in others have been discovered
- greater compassion for others who experience
something similar

27. 4. Positive functioning at its best4. Positive functioning at its best
Have a look at the following on your
own:
- Nurturing of extraordinary human
talent
- Building of human strength
- How can we prepare for
extraordinariness?