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General Personality Science

Hedonic vs. Eudaimonic Well-being

Two paths to happiness: Hedonic (pleasure, positive feelings) vs. Eudaimonic (meaning, self-actualization). Eudaimonic well-being predicts life satisfaction better long-term.

Hedonic well-being is happiness through pleasure: good food, entertainment, comfort. Eudaimonic well-being is happiness through meaning: pursuing valued goals, personal growth, helping others.

Short-term: hedonic feels better (party vs. studying). Long-term: eudaimonic satisfaction is stronger and more stable. Research shows eudaimonic well-being predicts health, longevity, and life satisfaction better than hedonic (r=0.40+ vs. r=0.20+).

Career connection: a high-paying job (hedonic reward) without meaning (eudaimonic value) leads to empty happiness. A meaningful career even with modest pay (eudaimonic) leads to deeper satisfaction.

Personality effect: high Openness + high Conscientiousness gravitates toward eudaimonic (growth-seeking); low Conscientiousness gravitates toward hedonic (immediate gratification).

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Related Terms

Introversion
A personality preference for lower stimulation environments. Introverts recharge through solitude and deep focus, prefer small groups over large parties, and think before speaking.
Personality Trait
A relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguishes one person from another. Traits are continuous dimensions (not categories) measured on a spectrum.
Ambivert
A person who falls near the middle of the introversion-extraversion spectrum, displaying both introverted and extroverted behaviors depending on context. Most people (60-70%) are ambiverts.
Dark Triad
Three socially aversive personality traits: Narcissism (grandiosity, entitlement), Machiavellianism (manipulation, cynicism), and Psychopathy (callousness, impulsivity). Present to varying degrees in the general population.
Five Factor Model (FFM)
The scientific framework behind the Big Five personality test. Developed through decades of factor analysis, identifying five broad dimensions that account for most of the variance in human personality.
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