As we leave another year behind, it might be a good idea to review our assumptions about happiness and broaden our views on the threshold of a new year. Many scholars prefer to discuss happiness under the heading of well-being. Two basic understandings of well-being stand out. No matter how complex the models are, two interrelated concepts are hedonism and eudaimonism. According to the hedonic view, well-being associates feeling good with pleasure and individual happiness. On the other hand, the eudaimonic approach, first articulated by Aristotle, who was born in 384 BC, considers well-being as realizing one’s strengths, serving a purpose greater than oneself, living a life in harmony with one’s values, and living a meaningful life by reflecting one’s potential in life. In this respect, the eudaimonic approach also includes the contribution of the person to his/her environment. In this article, based on research data, the characteristics and qualities that constitute a meaningful life journey from an early age are examined.
According to Aristotle, eudaimonia is a state of complete well-being and is not an event that occurs as a result of a particular experience, but a name given to a way of life.1 This concept means following a life path that one believes to be valuable in itself. What leads researchers to this idea is