Beyond the joy of the first part

Beyond the joy of the first part

Beyond the joy of the first part, we want to express in several parts

Humans have been searching for the secret of living well since ancient times.

And one of the tasks of ancient philosophers in the role of leaders of society was to discover this secret;

and make available to the people.

To have better people and, as a result, better societies.

They had realized over the centuries that we humans cannot be satisfied and happy without knowing the reason for our existence or having a specific path and goal.

Being happy without growing, a sense of inner satisfaction and purpose, has no meaning.

Some philosophers introduced (eudaimonia) to people instead of happiness;

A new window to a better life where, in addition to personal growth, there is inner peace and prosperity.

Where does eudaimonia come from?

Eudaimonia is usually called happiness and bliss.

But its true meaning is far beyond and richer than happiness.

Because to achieve it, we have to work hard to become better people.

No matter what we do, what problems we have or where we live.

Eudaimonia tells us that many of the most valuable things in life may not necessarily bring happiness;

But they are worth pursuing so that at the end of life we can achieve something higher than happiness and we can make a change in the world.

If we only seek happiness and pleasure in life and avoid unhappiness.

Over time, we become captive to our desires and give up on any long-term goal to achieve temporary satisfaction;

And we sacrifice self-discipline for pleasure.

But if we seek eudaimonia, we choose the path of self-knowledge and personal growth and endure adversity for a higher purpose.

As a result, this work increases our resilience and makes us more resilient in the face of difficulties so that we can achieve lasting happiness.

(Encyclopedia Britannica) defines eudaimonia as: ((the state of human flourishing or well-being)).

Therefore, the word “happiness” cannot be a good synonym for it.

This state in Greek philosophy, unlike happiness, is not a state of mind or a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction.

According to (Aristotle), eudaimonia is the highest level of goodness in humans and is the only virtue in the world that is important only for its own sake.

And it is not a means to reach another goal and it is considered its own goal.

The difference between eudaimonia and happiness

The root of the word “happiness” in English means luck and fortune, and “happy” means good luck.

Maybe luck plays a role in determining your job, life path or even the problems you have and makes you happy or unhappy;

But eudaimonia can only be achieved in one way: to become the best person you can be.

Luck has no role in this matter.

Happiness is a completely subjective matter;

It means it changes from person to person;

One may enjoy the acquisition of knowledge and be happy,

But another person got this feeling by devoting her life to religion.

But eudaimonia is more objective.

Because the standards for good human living and life are based on the virtues that Aristotle pointed out and defined.

In addition, happiness is a feeling that a person can create or lose at any moment.

While eudaimonia is a form of being, it takes a long-term effort to build and, in turn, lasts longer.

Happiness can be obtained from small pleasures like a good meal or even immoral acts.

But eudaimonia means being a better person, which is not achieved by enjoying yourself.

Therefore, it can be said that happiness is a transitory feeling.

[Eudaimonia, in addition to happiness, includes virtue, morality and meaning in life.

The ultimate goal of philosophy is to become better people.]