Eudaimonic happiness is therefore based on the premise that people feel happy if they experience life purpose, challenges and growth. Eudaimonic wellbeingĮudaimonic wellbeing, on the other hand, is strongly reliant on Maslow’s ideas of self actualisation and Roger’s concept of the fully functioning person and their subjective well being. It is proposed that an individual experiences happiness when positive affect and satisfaction with life are both high (Carruthers & Hood, 2004). It comprises of an affective component (high positive affect and low negative affect) and a cognitive component (satisfaction with life). Subjective well-being is a scientific term that is commonly used to denote the ‘happy or good life’. Hedonic concepts are based on the notion of subjective wellbeing. Hedonic wellbeing is based on the notion that increased pleasure and decreased pain leads to happiness. These are the hedonic and eudaimonic approaches to happiness (Keyes, Shmotkin, & Ryff, 2002).
In the pursuit of understanding happiness, there are two main theoretical perspectives that focus on addressing the question of what makes people feel good and happy. Happiness is characterised by the experience of more frequent positive affective states than negative ones as well as a perception that one is progressing toward important life goals (Tkach & Lyubomirsky, 2006). The concept of happiness is the cornerstone of the assumptions of positive psychology.