Exploring how we can actualize our potential in the modern world. I write about Optimizing our Energy, Mind & Performance as Knowledge Workers. Enjoy!
Happiness is not the meaning of life.
You said that to me a year ago, and I wouldn't have listened. For years, I took that for granted, like a universal law. My perspective changed when I studied both Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science.
Three things happened:
They didn't agree with what I thought.
They provided the same answer to what the meaning of life was.
The paradox: I've never been happier since then.
Enter Aristotle & Martin Seligman 🤯
Let's bring them to the party and ask them: What's the meaning of life?
Aristotle would say that the “Summum Bonum” (the highest good) is EUDAIMONIA, which literally means "a good soul", but a more appropriate translation would be:
A deep sense of joyful flourishing that comes from expressing the best version of ourselves, both for its own sake and in service to others.
Well, now it's time for Seligman to answer the question. The cool thing is that he would answer by telling us the name of his most recent book: [to] FLOURISH. In his own words:
“I used to think that the topic of positive psychology was happiness and that the goal of positive psychology was to increase life satisfaction.
I now think that the topic of positive psychology is well-being and that the goal of positive psychology is to increase flourishing."
What Can We Take Away From This? ✍️
First of all, amazement. I mean, they said the exact same thing with more than 2,300 years separating them. Wow.
With that said, we can conclude that the Ultimate Game we want to play is this one: Expressing the best version of ourselves moment, to moment, to moment. Why? Because we are wired to only feel a sense of true, deep joy in that process.
"What one can be, one must be"
This mindset shift changed my life, and I hope it changes yours as well.