Questions about Well-being
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is well-being and how is it defined?
Well-being is what is ultimately good for a person, also called welfare or quality of life. Its precise definition is disputed and varies across disciplines and cultures, with some characterizations focusing on a single element such as happiness, and others including multiple components such as good physical and mental health, positive emotions, and positive interpersonal relationships. The word entered the English language in the 16th century from the Italian term benessere.
What are the main theories of well-being in philosophy?
The three most widely discussed theories are hedonism, desire theories, and objective list theories. Hedonism holds that well-being depends entirely on the balance of pleasure over pain. Desire theories argue that well-being comes from the satisfaction of a person's desires. Objective list theories state that well-being depends on a combination of diverse factors such as health, friendship, achievement, and knowledge, independent of whether a person subjectively values them. Derek Parfit (1942-2017) introduced this influential three-part classification.
What is the Easterlin paradox and how does it relate to well-being?
The Easterlin paradox is the observation that within a given country, people with higher incomes tend to report higher happiness than those with lower incomes, yet overall happiness does not trend upward as the average income of the entire population increases. Richard Easterlin (1926-2024) formulated this finding, and it challenged the assumption that national economic growth automatically produces greater national well-being.
What is the PERMA model of well-being?
The PERMA model was developed by Martin Seligman (born 1942) and identifies five elements of well-being: positive emotions, engagement by following one's interests, interpersonal relationships, finding meaning in life, and accomplishments in the pursuit of success and mastery. It emerged from the field of positive psychology, which developed formally in the late 1990s.
How do genetics affect subjective well-being?
Some studies suggest that genetic influences can explain up to one third of the differences in subjective well-being between individuals. Evidence for this comes from twin studies: the life satisfaction of identical twins, who share genes, is more alike than the life satisfaction of non-identical twins. Neurotransmitters and hormones including endorphin, dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and cortisol are also relevant biological factors.
What global indices measure national well-being beyond GDP?
Several national and international indices track population well-being, including the World Happiness Report, the OECD Better Life Index, Bhutan's Gross National Happiness, and the UK Measures of National Well-being. Policymakers also use the WELLBY scale to quantify how specific policy decisions influence the well-being of large populations.