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Integrating hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing
and deals with the management of the evolutionary cognitive realization of inevitable death (Pyszczynski et al., 2002). The mortality salience hypothesis suggests that when people are reminded of the inevitability of death, their world view defence strengthens and they seek to conform to the accepted beliefs and behaviours of their culture (Harmon-Jones et al., 1997). Thus, a traumatic and life-threatening event, paired with the lifelong reminder of a person’s close encounter with death (physical scars, deformity) creates a mortality salient environment. Such people will have a conscious reminder of the inevitability of their own death and, according to Pyszczynski et al. (2002), utilize proximal defences and distraction to defend themselves from deathrelated reminders.
Integrating hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing
S
o how do we reconcile the debate within the field over what constitutes a good life: hedonic or eudaimonic wellbeing? We know that those who follow their eudaimonic pursuits score highly on satisfaction with life tools (Huta et al., 2003). However, increased scores on positive affect were strongly correlated with hedonic measures as were drive fulfilment and being relaxed and away from problems. Eudaimonic measures tend to correlate much better with growth, development, challenges and efforts (Waterman, 1993). Criticisms of the hedonic paradigm stem from the lack of clarity on what types of positive affect are important for wellbeing. Is it Fredrickson’s ten emotions? Should SWL be viewed as a component of hedonism? Satisfaction with life is an independent evaluative element and perhaps there needs to be a re-evaluation of the concept of hedonic wellbeing. For example, what do we really mean by happiness and wellbeing (Galati, Manzano and Sotgiu, 2006)? Furthermore, within the eudaimonic paradigm, there is a lack of conceptual unity. (For example, what is being understood under personal growth? Is eudaimonic WB development/growth or transcendence/meaning? Or all of them?) Ultimately, the way forward includes the undertaking of exploratory research and to define and develop appropriate measures of eudaimonic WB. Qualitative approaches can offer intricacy and depth and capture complexity of phenomena. They can be extremely useful in mapping out the field, developing conceptual clarity and formulating an overarching framework. However, most existing studies have employed a top-down approach to data analysis. Furthermore, many studies focused on what lay people believe make them happy rather than exploring the meanings attributed to happiness.
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