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Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being pp 175–182Cite as

Hedonia, Eudaimonia, and Meaning: Me Versus Us; Fleeting Versus Enduring

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Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life ((IHQL))

Abstract

Psychology’s recent interest in the philosophical debate regarding hedonia and eudaimonia has added richness to conceptualizations of flourishing, but this chapter argues that a more psychological model of hedonia and eudaimonia would free the field from “conceptual confusion” and stimulate new research approaches. This chapter presents a model wherein hedonia is distinguished from eudaimonia in that hedonia is marked by self-centered interest in immediate gratification and eudaimonia is marked by more collectively-oriented interest in enduring effort and contribution. This new model is linked to a dual process model of happiness and discussed in the context of psychological views on meaning in life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Michael F. Steger

  2. North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa

    Michael F. Steger

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  1. Michael F. Steger
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Correspondence to Michael F. Steger .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Joar Vittersø

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Steger, M.F. (2016). Hedonia, Eudaimonia, and Meaning: Me Versus Us; Fleeting Versus Enduring. In: Vittersø, J. (eds) Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42445-3_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42445-3_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-42443-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-42445-3

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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