Is Eudaimonia a key to successful aging?
The year that I turned 50 I decided that I was going to start competing in sprint triathlons , which consist roughly of a 500m swim, followed by 12-15 miles on the bike, then running a 5k. I trained hard all winter for my first ever race in April. One of the quirks of triathlon is that the competitor's age is marked on the back of their calf so you see which racers are in your age group. My first race started well in the water, and I was decent on the ride. The run was a disaster. I’d gone out too hard and had nothing left in the tank. People were running past me in a torrent as I continued to slow. Finally, exasperated I saw a little girl with a ponytail bounce past me. I looked at her calf, and I realized that I was getting passed by a 12 year old girl. After the race I contemplated what my experience meant, and realized that I would never be a great racer. I had to change my goal away from winning to something else, and I settled on the ancient Greek idea of Eudaimonia. This shift in mindset has been a tremendous benefit in my own search for a path toward successful aging.
Eudaimonia is often misinterpreted as “ happiness “ today, but the ancient Greeks , Aristotle chief among them, had a very different understanding of the word. In his Nicomachean Ethics he defined Eudaimonia as “ doing and living well”, and “ virtuous life in accordance with reason”. A better modern word equivalent might be “flourishing “. In the Positive Psychology Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-being ( Kjell 2011) there are six dimensions of Eudaimonia
Self Discovery
Perceived development of one’s potentials
A sense of purpose and meaning in life
Investment of significant effort in pursuit of excellence
Intense involvement in activities
Enjoyment of activities as personally expressive.
The focus is not attainment of the end goal, but rather fulfillment arising from the striving, growth, and steps in the journey. Pursuing, involvement , and investment as they pertain to personal development become the goal itself, rather than steps toward a finite goal.
Eudaimonia is a more encompassing idea than happiness. The former involves action and intent more than happiness, which is a temporary state. Eudaimonic living needs to be its own reward: it is no guarantee of happiness. Sometimes the virtuous act brings temporary pain, seeming failure and unhappiness, but it’s commitment to the right path that leads to flourishing.
Eudaimonia offers relief from the “ hedonic treadmill “. We’ve all bought that car, gotten that promotion, or won that competition only to quickly turn our focus onto the next target for attainment. Are you growing and developing your potential or simply after a temporary state of enjoyment and pleasure? In general, Eudaimonic pursuits correlate with life satisfaction whereas hedonic pursuits do not.
As we age we come to realize that certain goals are no longer possible. I can’t win a triathlon, but I’ve come to love the training for its own sake; the small improvements, the feel of the sunrise during a morning run, satisfaction from the soreness in my legs later. Physical and mental limitations may keep us from winning our races, but they needn’t detract from our pursuit of Eudaimonic excellence.