Eudaemonia Endeavors

The ancient Greek philosophers wrote a lot and argued a lot about how one should live a good life. The topic was and is quite controversial, because there is much disagreement on what is meant by the good life, let alone how to go about achieving it. One person's definition of the good life can be very different from another's. It can mean, for example, possessing an abundance of things, having power, being famous, being loved, eating fantastic food, traveling to exotic places, going to Broadway shows, or countless other experiences. But it can also mean living a simple life wherein one does’t require lots of possessions to thrive. 

One thing that the arguing Greek philosophers pretty much did agree on was that fulfilling one's desires can lead to happiness, and being happy can help one to feel like they've achieved the good life. But the English word “happiness” falls well short of the Greek word they used: eudaemonia. Being happy refers to a feeling of pleasure or contentment. Those are transitory feelings. Eudaemonia describes an enduring state of being, which is better translated as living a fulfilled life, as realizing one's full potential, as flourishing, or as thriving. Eudaemonia goes well beyond just happiness.

So, OK, if realizing one's full potential or flourishing is what the Greeks could agree upon, there's still the disagreement over how to get there. They may have seen eye to eye on the end point, but what about the means? We each have our own path; our own means—based on our predilections and experiences. Some people have insatiable desires and others opt to keep them simple.

Socrates had a lot to say about how to achieve the good life, and he was on the side of keeping our desires simple. Why choose the simple path? He posited three reasons: (1) since simple desires are easier to attain, it's easier to reach eudaemonia; you don't have to work as hard at it, (2) those who have many and exorbitant desires must expend much effort and energy to get them and then they are constantly fretting about how to hold onto their possessions… that’s neither a peaceful nor a contented life, and (3) those who pursue many lavish desires leave little for the poor and disadvantaged, denying them any chance of flourishing. Thus the simple life is better for the self and for everyone. There is enough to go around—even to offer the good life—for everyone.

So simplicity not only offers me a better chance at acquiring eudaemonia, it also give the less fortunate a better chance. Logical and straightforward advice from ancient Greece, that remains relevant today.