The Good Life

THE GOOD LIFE
Good life is a life well-lived, a life filled with joy,

happiness, and fulfillment. It is a life where you can
look back and feel a sense of accomplishment,
knowing that you have lived with purpose and
meaning. However, defining what a good life is can
vary greatly from person to person. Some may find
happiness in wealth and material possessions, while
others may find it in meaningful relationships,
personal growth, or serving others., and fulfillment. It
is a life where you can look back and feel a sense of
accomplishment, knowing that you have lived with
purpose and meaning. However, defining what a
good life is can vary greatly from person to person.
Some may find happiness in wealth and material
possessions, while others may find it in meaningful
relationships, personal growth, or serving others.
To me, a good life is one that is balanced and
harmonious. It is a life where I can pursue my
passions and interests while still taking care of my
physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This
means taking time to exercise, eat well, and get
enough rest. It also means making time for family
and friends, cultivating meaningful relationships, and
giving back to my community.
A good life is one where I can learn, grow, and
develop as a person. This means continually
expanding my knowledge and skills, pushing myself
out of my comfort zone, and embracing new
challenges. It also means practicing self-reflection
and self-awareness, understanding my strengths and
weaknesses, and working to improve myself.
Ultimately, a good life is one where I can find
purpose and meaning. It is a life where I can
contribute to something greater than myself,
whether that be through my work, my hobbies, or
my relationships. It is a life where I can leave a
positive impact on the world and inspire others to
do the same.
In summary, a good life is one that is balanced,
fulfilling, and purposeful. It is a life where I can
pursue my passions, take care of my well-being,
learn and grow, and make a positive impact on the
world.
WHAT IS THE GOOD LIFE & HOW TO ATTAIN

IT
There has been a great deal written and said about

how to live The Good Life.
Yet with more than 8 billion people on this planet,
there are probably just as many opinions about what
the good life entails.
Positive psychology began as an inquiry into the

good life to establish a science of human flourishing
and improve our understanding of what makes life
worth living
What Is The Good Life in Philosophy?
This tricky question has preoccupied

philosophers since the ancient Greeks, given
it deals with the how and why of values and
ethics, and how to live well.
According to Socrates
Interestingly enough, the ancient Greek
philosopher Socrates never wrote anything
down. His student Plato reported his
speeches in published dialogues that
demonstrate the Socratic method. Key to
Socrates’ definition of the good life was that
“the unexamined life is not worth living”
(Ap 38a cited in West, 1979, p. 25).
Socrates argued that a person who lives a

routine, mundane life of going to work and
enjoying their leisure without reflecting on
their values or life purpose had a life that
wasn’t worth living.
However, he also argued that mere

philosophical reflection was not sufficient
for a good life. For Socrates, the good life
requires self-mastery of our animal passions
to ensure inner peace and the stability of the
wider community.
Therefore, educated reason is crucial for

cultivating virtuous conduct to minimize
human suffering, both individually and
socially. For Socrates and Plato, rational
reflection on the consequences of our
For Kant, individuals should act only if they

can justify their action as universally
applicable, which he termed the categorical
imperative (Kant, 1785/2012). He argued
that all our behavioral choices can be tested
against the categorical imperative to see if
they are consistent with the demands of
morality. If they fail, they should be
discarded.
A virtuous person must exercise re”son to
identify which principles are consistent with
the categorical imperative and act
accordingly. However, Kant claimed that
reason can only develop through education
in a civilized society that has secured the
external conditions required for an
individual to become virtuous.
For example, an individual who lives in fear

of punishment or death lacks the freedom
required to live virtuously, therefore
authoritarian societies can never produce
virtuous individuals. Poverty also erodes an
individual’s freedom as they will be
preoccupied with securing the means of
survival.
job because they will eventually adapt and
return to their previous set point.
This implies that helping professionals who

believe they can improve people’s SWB in
the longer term may be misguided. Or does
it?
Other research provides evidence that

achieving life goals can have a direct effect
on a person’s overall contentment (Sheldon
& Lyubomirsky, 2021). Specifically,
pursuing non-competitive goals such as
making a family, building friendships,
helping others in our community, and
engaging in social justice activities improve
our sense of wellbeing.
On the other hand, pursuing competitive life
goals like building a career and monetary
wealth exclusively undermines SWB.
For set-point theory, the good life depends

more on innate personality traits than
education. o
Happiness set point

Life-Satisfaction Theory
Typically, life satisfaction refers to a global
evaluation of what makes life worth living
rather than focusing on success in one area
of life like a career or intimate relationship,
or the fleeting sense of pleasure we often
call happiness (Suikkanen, 2011).
However, there tend to be two dominant
theories of what causes life satisfaction:
bottom-up theories and top-down theories.
Bottom-up theories propose that life

satisfaction is a consequence of a rounded
overall sense of success in highly valued life
domains. Valued life domains differ from
person to person. For a professional athlete,
sporting achievement may be highly valued,
while for a committed parent having a good
partnership and stable family life will be
super important (Suikkanen, 2011).
Of course, these are not mutually exclusive.

For most people, multiple life domains
matter equally. However, if we are satisfied
with the areas that we value, a global sense
of life satisfaction results (Suikkanen, 2011).
Top-down theories propose that our
happiness set-point has a greater influence
on life satisfaction than goal achievement. In
other words, personality traits like optimism
have a positive impact on a person’s
satisfaction with life regardless of external
circumstances, whereas neuroticism
undermines contentment.
The debate continues, and life satisfaction is

likely influenced by a combination of nature
and nurture as with other areas of
psychology.

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THE GOOD LIFE

Good life is a life well-lived, a life filled with joy,

WHAT IS THE GOOD LIFE & HOW TO ATTAIN

There has been a great deal written and said about

Positive psychology began as an inquiry into the

What Is The Good Life in Philosophy?

This tricky question has preoccupied

Socrates argued that a person who lives a

However, he also argued that mere

Therefore, educated reason is crucial for

For Kant, individuals should act only if they

For example, an individual who lives in fear

This implies that helping professionals who

Other research provides evidence that

For set-point theory, the good life depends

Happiness set point

Bottom-up theories propose that life

Of course, these are not mutually exclusive.

The debate continues, and life satisfaction is

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