The Problem With Problems
Our current therapeutic model revolves around identifying problems within ourselves. It promises that if we find the problem and fix it, we will be happy. But we often find ourselves spinning around the bottom of a drain looking for more problems and not seeing the innate gifts of ourselves, or of our life experiences.
It turns out we can’t get rid of pain in order to have happiness.
From Therapeutic Model:
Fixation on identity ° Problem-focused ° Past-oriented ° Extrinsically motivated ° Responsibility outside oneself ° Create independence & dependence
To Eudaimonia:
Awareness unrestricted by self ° Growth-focused ° Present-oriented ° Intrinsically motivated ° Self-responsible ° Creates interdependence
What is Eudaimonia?
Eudaimonia, in ancient Greece and Aristotelian ethics, referred to the condition of human flourishing, or, of living well. It is more than mere emotional happiness or physical vitality. It is the result of uncovering and expressing our unique genius. It is the highest human good, desirable for its own sake, not a means to an end. Flourishing is the byproduct of living in accordance with one’s soul.
To live eudaimonically is to become so fully absorbed in our experience, that our discursive mind is quieted. It is to experience a seamless connection between ourselves and the world.
From therapeutic to Eudaimonic means…
Unlike traditional therapeutic models that focus on alleviating symptoms, Eudaimonia aims for sustainable happiness.
From enlightenment to innovation, from inspiration to intimacy—this profound state of presence is what we seek. Joy is a state of being that can be trained and cultivated, and ultimately directed toward what is most nourishing to your soul.
How can the therapeutic model lead to suffering?
- Makes one’s own feelings of primary importance
- Makes politics of the personality
- Puts responsibility—and with it, power—outside oneself
- Seeks and demands validation
- Diminishes presence by focusing on the past or the future
- Adds labels and identities as cure rather than the dissolution of identity and sense of self
Shifting to a Eudaimonic Worldview
To transform our cultural orientation to a Eudaimonic perspective means cultivating our unique geniuses. And to let those genies out of the bottle—and into the world.