Why “finding happiness” is not the purpose of our life (a better alternative from Greek philosophy)
Eudaimonia (read /juːdɪˈmoʊniə/)
is a word from ancient Greece that many philosophers like Aristotle and Plato had a lot of emphasis on.
Why?
Because this word can eliminate one of the most overvalued words in our daily life:
Happiness
Today, when we want to tell someone the purpose of our lives, it is the word “ happiness “ that comes to mind first.
- How do you like to be in your job?
I want to be happy
- How do you want your relationship to go?
To stay happy!
- What do you want from life?
Well, I want to enjoy life and be happy
At first glance, this view seems very positive and logical, but the main problem begins when we do not put ourselves in situations where we don’t get the same “happy feeling” that we used to get.
The truth is we make happiness and well-being our final goal and based on that criteria, we make the most important decisions in our lives.
Just think about any relationship where you didn’t feel happy all the time, and though “Damn, I’m not happy with my partner, I need to ditch her!”
An alternative (better and more valuable) to happiness from Greece
Greek philosophers did not consider happiness to be the main purpose of our lives. Instead, they believed that our main goal in life should be Eudaimonia .
According to Wikipedia:
In the work of Aristotle, eudaimonia (based on older Greek tradition) was used as the term for the highest human good, and so it is the aim of practical philosophy, including ethics and political philosophy, to consider (and also experience) what it really is, and how it can be achieved. It is thus a central concept in Aristotelian ethics and subsequent Hellenistic philosophy, along with the terms aretē (most often translated as ‘virtue’ or ‘excellence’) and phronesis” (‘practical or ethical wisdom’).
In plain English, it means:
What makes happiness different from satisfaction is suffering. eudaimonia is when we are doing something that irritates us deep down .
In other words, when we are satisfied with something, we may be suffering physically or mentally.
But in the case of the word happiness, such perceptions do not arise in our minds because it is difficult to think of happiness but suffer at the same time!
The interesting thing about the word eudaimonia is that it has both the connotation of happiness and satisfaction and the meaning of suffering and hardship at the same time!
It’s like being happy but not smiling all the time, It means being satisfied with all the problems and challenges of life.
How does knowing “Eudaimonia” help us in our lives?
As soon as we decide to incorporate the concept of Eudaimonia in our life, something wonderful begins to happen:
We realize that there are not many happy-smiling scenarios in our life, but following them with all their difficulty can help us develop our emotional intelligence and stamina.
Let’s take some examples:
- Find and develop job skills
- Having an independent life
- Being in a relationship
- Starting a new business
None of these activities are going to keep us happy and full of laughter every day; on the contrary, these valuable activities that give us meaning in life are accompanied by many challenges and mental pressures.
Chances are when we grow up and look back, we can tell ourselves that the hard and challenging choices we had in life were totally worth it!
By following them, we achieve something greater and more valuable than mere happiness
Some changes in my perspective after knowing about Eudaimonia
I realized:
- It is no longer strange for me to think of life without hardship
- I don’t compare myself with those happy-go-lucky people on social media because I know my life is normal
3. When I’m not in a good mood, I don’t constantly blame myself for not having a happy life.
4. We realize that our lives are more than just laughter and dopamine, and with every awkward moment that comes our way, we are going to be better than we were yesterday and reach the eternal and true satisfaction.
