In my previous blog, I examined how modern research, particularly through the avenue of positive psychology, confirms some of Aristotle’s insights about human beings and the well-lived life. In particular, I observed that author Shawn Achor’s definition of happiness as “the joy of striving after our potential” isn’t that far afield from Aristotelian virtue theory.
In this blog, I’ll take a closer look at the notion that virtue is the pathway to happiness through exploring the idea that a person’s everyday habits, not choices, are the building blocks for the happy life. Ultimately, I’ll show, however, that good habits are a necessary but insufficient part of the equation. The search for happiness finds its ultimate end in God, the divine creator, bestower of wisdom, and mastermind behind real human flourishing.
Practice, Practice, Practice
You might remember from last time that Shawn Achor, an author from Harvard University, made a bold claim in his 2010 bestseller The Happiness Advantage. While most people believe that happiness follows success, Achor argues that modern research has shown that precisely the opposite is the case: success follows happiness. And the way to become happy is through a life of activity, striving after one’s potential, beginning with putting into practice the right everyday habits that will enable this striving to occur.
Aristotle has something similar to say, though he clarifies what type of pursuits, or forms of excellence (arete: virtue), are worth striving for: physical, moral, and intellectual virtues (you can check out my previous blog for a definition of these). These virtues are the pathway to happiness and develop in a person through practice. But how exactly?
Virtue theorists, those who follow Aristotle in this regard, believe that ideals of character, or virtues, ought to guide our understanding of what is right or wrong, good or bad. An action is deemed good or bad based on whether a virtuous person, acting in character, would perform it. In this way, moral understanding, or wisdom, is not simply a matter of knowing a bunch of moral facts. Otherwise, a child prodigy with a brilliant mind could be the wisest among us! No, according to virtue theorists, wisdom is attained only through following the example of virtuous people. And this “act of following” takes practice. Over time, through intensive moral practice, a person can become wise, that is, develop the know-how to navigate with virtue the complexities of life (Landau 241-243). And as one gets better and better at this moral navigation, along the pathway of virtue, his life will become increasingly filled with wise choices and worthy pursuits. The ongoing state of this well-lived life, thinks Aristotle, is human flourishing, or happiness.
Becoming Virtuous
Aristotle emphasizes that moral virtue is the result of repeated practice, or habit, in the second book of his Nichomachean Ethics. Contra the idea that people are born either virtuous or not, or that the virtues are implanted in us by nature, he argues that each person is “equipped with the ability to receive them [i.e. the virtues], and habit brings this ability to completion and fulfillment” (II.1,1103a20-25). Just as people learn the arts, such as playing the guitar, by doing, so people become virtuous through doing.
Likewise, people can become unvirtuous by doing. Aristotle writes,
“The same causes and the same means that produce any excellence or virtue can also destroy it, and this is also true of every art. It is by playing the harp that men become both good and bad harpists, and correspondingly with builders and all the other craftsmen: a man who builds well will be a good builder, one who builds badly a bad one.” (II.1, 1103b, 6-10)
So while it is a real possibility for a person to grow in virtue throughout a lifetime, which is the pathway to happiness for Aristotle, there is real danger involved, too. The moral choices one habituates change the very person who performs them… for the better or worse. Aristotle explains,
“In our transactions with other men it is by action that some men become just and others unjust, and it is by acting in the face of danger and by developing the habit of feeling fear or confidence that some become brave men and other cowards…Hence it is no small matter whether one habit or another is inculcated in us from early childhood; on the contrary, it makes a considerable difference, or rather, all the difference.” (II.1, 1103b, 20-24)
Habits for a Secular Age
As I said, Achor does not use the language of virtue, but he seems to think nonetheless that the adoption of the right habits is essential for the happy life. With interesting ties to Aristotle, he writes that “Happiness is not a mood, it’s a work ethic” (50). The key to becoming happy, according to Achor, is to submit oneself to certain routine practices that over time become habits. He explains further,
“As you integrate these happiness exercises into your daily life, you’ll not only start to feel better, but you’ll also start to notice how your enhanced positivity makes you more efficient, motivated, and productive, and opens up opportunities for greater achievement.” (56)
Here Achor links these practices geared toward increasing happiness to a positive mindset. Why is that? Because the human brain, according to current neuroscience, is plastic: it has the capacity to change over time. As the brain, which is the material control center for human activity, issues the same commands over and over again, its neural pathways gradually rewire to accelerate both those commands and their corresponding actions. In a very literal sense, then, the practices Anchor recommends turning into habits have the ability to reform the brain toward a positive, happy mindset.
So just what are these practices Anchor recommends? I know you’re dying to know! While I would recommend checking out Achor’s book for yourself, here is the latest list of practices he recommends to habituate over 21-30 days, taken from this article:
- Gratitude Exercises. Write down three things you’re grateful for that occurred over the last 24 hours. They don’t have to be profound. It could be a really good cup of coffee or the warmth of a sunny day.
- The Doubler. Take one positive experience from the past 24 hours and spend two minutes writing down every detail about that experience. As you remember it, your brain labels it as meaningful and deepens the imprint.
- The Fun Fifteen. Do 15 minutes of a fun cardio activity, like gardening or walking the dog, every day. The effects of daily cardio can be as effective as taking an antidepressant.
- Meditation. Every day take two minutes to stop whatever you’re doing and concentrate on breathing. Even a short mindful break can result in a calmer, happier you.
- Conscious act of kindness. At the start of every day, send a short email or text praising someone you know. Our brains become addicted to feeling good by making others feel good.
- Deepen Social Connections. Spend time with family and friends. Our social connections are one of the best predictors for success and health, and even life expectancy.
Fascinating list, isn’t it? If you’re like me, one of the first things you may have noticed is how much overlap there is between these secular practices and Christian spiritual disciplines. Take meditation, for example. The idea of sitting calmly and silently, alone with yourself and with your thoughts, is similar to the Christian practice of prayer, sitting silently and humbly before the Lord. “Be still, and know that I am God,” declares the psalmist (Ps. 46:10 ESV). Or how about the gratitude exercises? The idea of expressing gratitude to God is pervasive throughout both the Old and New Testament. Towards the end of his letter to the Philippians, for example, Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6 ESV). Prayer, gratitude, kindness, and relationships are indeed core disciplines in the Christian life.
The Cry of Wisdom
Really, there is nothing new about this list of habits. In fact, the seeds for these ideas are quite old… ancient even. This list of six “exercises” is nothing more than ancient wisdom clothed in modern research. Shawn Achor actually admits as much in his book:
“Positive psychology draws on ideas from many esteemed sources ranging from Greek philosophers, to hallowed religious traditions, to modern-day writers and thinkers… the principles and theories are then empirically tested and validated.” (145)
Achor’s statement here is significant; it reveals, in one sense, that nothing is new under the sun. Although modern thinkers have worked diligently the last few centuries to untether themselves from the religious landscape from which modernity emerged, it seems we have now come full circle. Modern research, at least in this case, has come to confirm some elements of ancient wisdom.
Still, from a Christian perspective, we see that something is lacking. Both Aristotle and Shawn Achor are leaving out a major player in all this talk about happiness, the well-lived life, and human flourishing: God himself, the divine mastermind behind it all.
God has revealed specific details for acquiring happiness in scripture. Those in search of such an elusive object as happiness, therefore, would do well to listen carefully to such revelation. In the Old Testament, in the Book of Proverbs, a vivid image is evoked, the desperate plea of Lady Wisdom:
Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
-Proverbs 1:20-33 ESV
What a striking, even haunting, passage! In the Old Testament, wisdom is the art of godly living. It is the practical skill and know-how for living a life that is pleasing to God. It includes not only the proper beliefs to hold about the world, but also the right choices to make. Proverbs, in particular, provides practical details for everyday situations and relationships that shed light on human flourishing from a divine perspective.
While there is much that could be said about this passage, I will share just two observations. First, notice that Lady Wisdom is benevolent–generous even–towards those with whom she is speaking. She genuinely wants to provide this important practical knowledge for all who desire a peaceful and secure life. This knowledge is readily available, accessible to all, but there is one catch: it must be sought after. It seems that you cannot force someone into the good life. The person must choose this path for himself. He must choose to heed the voice of Lady Wisdom and seek to put the instruction into practice.
Second, notice that those who ignore the voice of Lady Wisdom, above all else, “hated knowledge” and “did not choose the fear of the Lord.” Elsewhere, Proverbs is clear that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10a ESV). Contra the glimmering secular narrative of our age, humans are not autonomous entities, endowed with the right and freedom to live however they would like. They are creatures, indeed, creatures made in the Creator’s image, brought into existence to do his bidding and cultivate the created world into all God intended it to be. Because humans are creatures–created beings, that is–there is a fundamental posture necessary to take on in order to live properly: fear and reverence before the Lord. It is precisely this posture that allows humans to navigate the complexities of this life, both joyful occasions and inevitable moments of suffering, knowing that God’s will is both sovereign and wise.
Happiness Achieved
So while there is great value in the insights of Aristotle and Shawn Achor, and we would do well, in fact, to put much of what they suggest into practice, we must remember that the foundation for a happy life, even more foundational than the pathway of virtue, is God himself. We must confess, following Augustine, the great church father, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee” (Confessions, Book 1.1). Only then will we experience the lasting happiness for which we were created.
Works Cited:
Laundau, Russ Shafer. The Fundamentals of Ethics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.