Unpacking the Two Types of Happiness
Is the happiness you feel eating your favorite food the same as the happiness you feel after mastering a new skill? Positive psychology suggests there are two distinct types of well-being at play: hedonic and eudaimonic.
Reflecting on these two concepts, I was struck by how they show up in my own life, and by a surprising conflict between my personal experience and the scientific research.
Understanding the Difference
At first, the distinction seems straightforward and intuitive.
Hedonic happiness is the happiness we get from positive emotional states and gratifying experiences. Think of the pleasure of taking a trip to a theme park or enjoying a delicious meal.
Eudaimonic happiness is the happiness we get from personal development, growth, and living a life of purpose. It’s that euphoric feeling of learning something new and bettering yourself.
I can clearly feel the difference between these two states in my own life. One is about enjoyment, the other about fulfillment.
When Data and Experience Collide
What surprised me while studying this topic was that research often finds little distinction between the two in terms of how they contribute to our overall happiness.
This creates a fascinating dilemma. On one hand, I trust the research and the data. On the other, I also believe that some things can't be fully explained by data alone. In my own experience, I know that I feel a different, special type of happiness when I'm engaging in personal growth versus purely pleasurable activities. The wellness wheel even has a unique category for spiritual activities, which speaks to this deeper, eudaimonic sense of well-being.
So, is one more important than the other? I don't believe so. I believe both are equally essential for our happiness.
Again, think of a wellness wheel. It has different sections—social, physical, spiritual, etc. A balanced life isn't about choosing one over the others. In the same way, well-being cannot be exclusively hedonic or eudaimonic. It takes both aspects—both pleasure and purpose—to create a well-rounded picture of a happy life.
Even if both are needed to promote well-being, being able to distinguish between the two is a necessary first step if we want to truly understand all the factors that influence our own happiness.
