Beyond happiness and meaning: Psychological Richness
Beggi Olafs
Coaching Psychology Expert | PhD Candidate in Psychology | AI-Driven Well-Being and Performance Innovator | Professional Speaker | Book Author | Former Professional Athlete
My life has been like a rollercoaster for the past three years. I’ve had a hard time understanding what I’ve been experiencing, but the word adventure kept coming to my mind.
Have I been living a happy life? I wouldn’t say so, although I’ve certainly experienced happiness. How about meaning? Yes, I would say my life has been very meaningful, but that does not capture fully what I’ve been going through.?
In general, positive psychology has argued in the past that there are two paths to a good life: Happiness and meaning.?
A happy life consists of comfort, enjoyment, and security. At the end of your life, if you lived a happy life, you can say: “I had fun!”
Meaningful life is about making a difference and contributing to something greater than yourself. At the end of your life, if you lived a meaningful life, you can say: “I made a difference.”
What if there was another concept that could explain the path to living a good life?
领英推荐
When I attended Shigehiro Oishi presentation on Psychological Richness at International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) - I felt that my life for the past three years finally made sense to me.
A psychologically rich life is interesting, eventful, and dramatic - consisting of curiosity, novelty, variety, and exploration. It’s living life like an adventure that leads to greater perspective and wisdom in life.?
At the end of your life, if you lived a psychologically rich life, you could say: “I’ve seen and learned a lot.”?
From stopping being a professional football player in Iceland, establishing a successful business, going through a breakup with a girlfriend for eight years, starting and quitting a Ph.D. program, leaving what I had built up in Iceland to move to the States to pursue a Ph.D. program and establishing my business in a new country and facing the normal existential challenges of life - the only concept that can explain this chaos that has occurred is that my life has been psychologically rich.?
There is no one correct path to the good life - and ideally, you will be able to say that you lived a happy, meaningful, and psychologically rich life. What is your route to the good life?
HSE Manager at Marel GRB
1 年Having the courage to do what you feel is right for you, popping out of your comfort zone, enjoying the moment and the process, trusting people and have a positive mind in everything you do.
Doctoral Student | Positive Organizational Psychology | Research & Evaluation
1 年Thank you for sharing, Beggie. As I delved into Shigehiro Oishi’s research, something clicked—the idea of psychological richness completes the puzzle. In the realm of Russian positive psychology, these discussions were commonplace. Meaning consistently outshone happiness in conversations about a fulfilling life. But I also had this question in mind: Meaning is important, and feeling happy is desirable, but what drives you to make the choice of a life that is meaningful yet challenging and not happy at all? My route is filled with challenges and new experiences. Striking a balance between meaning, happiness, and the challenges associated with a psychologically rich life is indeed a complex journey. Pursuing a life filled with diverse experiences, personal growth, and a sense of purpose can lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment. It seems like you’ve found valuable insight into what you desire for your life’s journey.
Experienced Change & People Leader - Public Speaker - Published Author - Excited about #futureofwork. A member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, an opt-in research community of business professionals.
1 年My route, at least part of it, to good life is life is living according to my own personal values - use my time, choose people around me, make decisions, and more, all in alignment with me personal values.