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On the Synergy Between Hedonia and Eudaimonia: The Role of Passion

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Handbook of Eudaimonic Well-Being

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

Abstract

Much discussion in the field of positive psychology has taken place on the role of two perspectives on happiness. The first, hedonia, focuses on positive experiences per se, while the second, eudaimonia, posits that happiness is to be found in self-realization in line with one’s true self. Although these two positions are often seen as antagonistic, it is suggested in this chapter that they can also go hand in hand. Specifically, it is seen that passion for a given activity can trigger positive hedonic experiences (i.e., positive emotions) that, in turn, promote eudaimonic well-being and self-growth. Further, it is also showed that such a synergetic relationship between hedonia and eudaimonia is more likely to happen when the passion is harmonious (the passion is under the person’s control) than when it is obsessive (the person is controlled by one’s passion). I conclude the chapter with some further thoughts on the role of passion in the hedonia-eudaimonia interface.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    By psychological well-being, I refer to well-being at the psychological level and not to Carol Ryff’s construct of “psychological well-being” (e.g., Ryff, Chap. 6, this volume). See Vallerand (2012) for more on this issue.

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  1. Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Comportement Social, Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Robert J. Vallerand

  2. Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Robert J. Vallerand

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

    Joar Vittersø

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Vallerand, R.J. (2016). On the Synergy Between Hedonia and Eudaimonia: The Role of Passion. 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_13

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