The Nature of Well-being

This research project focuses on the nature and causes of well-being. Though the study of well-being has proliferated in recent years, the nature and causes of well-being are difficult to discern. This research aims to gain clarity by appealing to the disciplines of philosophy and psychology. Well-being is a multi-dimensional construct and has been philosophized and theorized by many scholars and thought leaders throughout history. This research aggregates a multitude of theories, approaches, and philosophies to explain the nature of well-being. Psychologists created SWPP, SWB, lifespan research, emotional regulation and mindfulness theory, PWB, and WBT to understand well-being. Additionally, they identified that trauma and adversity, racism, marginalization and inequality have negative impacts on well-being. Philosophy proposed principles of pleasure versus pain (hedonism), desire fulfillment, and the possession of certain goods (objective list theories) as the theories of well-being. Examining both philosophical and psychological accounts expands current understandings of well-being and offers insights only discovered through cross disciplinary investigation. Well-being is both psychological and philosophical in nature; it goes beyond simplistic ideas of happiness. Instead, conceptions of well-being extend to consider meaning-making, relationships, pain and challenges, desires, values and accomplishments, and more. A multidimensional review of the literature on well-being offers a complex understanding of the construct in current times