In his book, Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman defines a hedonist as someone who defines the quality of his or her life on the quantity of good moments minus the quantity of bad moments. According to this theory, if we could only structure our lives so that we could have more happy moments than unhappy moments, then we would be happier. Many of us run our lives based on this goal. We are on a hedonic treadmill seeking one sensual gratification after another – one more piece of chocolate cake, our next vacation, and in my case getting the next electronic gadget. There is nothing inherently wrong with having pleasant sensual experiences as long as they are understood to be just that: they are pleasant but they don’t bring lasting happiness. This is because pleasurable experiences are by their very nature momentary and not lasting. Every pleasant experience must inevitably change and end. Experiences are therefore incapable of being completely satisfying. They are an unreliable basis for true happiness.
According to Seligman, “authentic happiness is rooted in the exercise of personal strengths and virtues rather than from shortcuts. Positive emotion alienated from the exercise of character leads to emptiness, to inauthenticity, to depression and as we age to the gnawing realization that we are fidgeting until we die.”
Seligman goes on to list 6 clusters of strengths that we can all develop with enough patience, practice, persistence and dedication. It is the development of these strengths that are the foundation for a meaningful life. The 6 categories are Wisdom & Knowledge, Courage, Humanity & Love, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence.
