Eudaimonia: Becoming Our Best Version of Us

Aristotle was the originator of the concept of eudaimonia (from daimon – true nature). He thought happiness was a vulgar idea, stressing that not all desires are worth pursuing, even though some of them may give pleasure, they would not produce wellness.

Aristotle thought that true happiness is found by leading a virtuous life and doing what is worth doing. He argued that realizing human potential is the ultimate human goal. This idea was further developed in history by prominent thinkers who stressed the value of self-discipline.

Humanistic psychologists such as Maslow (famous for developing the hierarchy of needs) and Rogers, were probably the first “eudaimonists” in the 20th century. Humanistic psychology grew up in the ‘60s out of the climate of pessimistic psychoanalysis and behaviorism that reduced humans to machines responding to stimuli.

The premise of humanistic psychology was that people have free will and make choices that influence their well-being. What also makes it very different from other perspectives in psychology is the belief in the actualizing tendency – a fundamental motivation towards growth.

Rogers, the originator of the concept, describes it as: “By this I mean the directional trend which is evident in all organic and human life – the urge to expand, develop, mature – the tendency to express and activate all the capacities of the organism and the self.

This tendency may become deeply buried under layer after layer of encrusted psychological defenses; it may be hidden behind elaborate facades that deny its existence; it is my belief, however, based on my experience, that it exists in every individual, and awaits only the proper conditions to be released and expressed.”

Tune in and learn about this life-changing concept!