Good Life Research Paper

Throughout the history, there have been heated discussions on what constitutes a good life. Philosophers have given different annotations on the meaning of good life based on their beliefs, perspectives or even scientific-based evidences. Some view a good life as an accumulation of material goods that brings “large amount” of pleasure to oneself. On the other hand, Mencius and Aristotle advocate good life as possessing of pleasure that incorporates ethical values and they believe that by doing so one will experience enduring happiness. There is no ultimate right or wrong for these interpretations since this is not a factual question. Therefore, rather than giving an accurate definition of a good life, this essay will focus on expressing my

The fact that humans cannot live by their own without social intercourse entails the individuals’ need for affectionate bonds, including biological ties with family members and emotional attachment with friends. It is suggested that the desire to pursue such intimate relationship are naturally driven by oneself to fulfill his psychological needs and lead them to attain a meaningful life (Ryff, 1989). Mill’s theory of Utilitarianism also claims that deep friendship is one of the higher pleasures that human requires to experience true happiness. In our lives, we often hear people feeling unhappy, although they obtain a great amount of wealth and power because they lose their family and friends in the process of acquiring these aspirations. On the other hand, for some people who may not possess so much money or social recognition, they cherish the close relationship among their family and friends and usually experience greater happiness. The affiliation with these important communities encourage people to face challenges in their life and are inevitably the key reason for most individuals to achieve success. Therefore, the existence of positive relationships is essential for human to gain life satisfaction as well as emotional

On the contrary, the acquisition of a good life should rather focus on achievement of an overall balance between an individual with the surrounding world, with practice of fostering good relationships with others and self cognition. The positive development of psychological wellbeing therefore will lead to enduring happiness, which is the ideal outcome of a good