An (Ancient) New Theory of Happiness

The Living Philosophy

You can get "Become Who You Are" here: http://designingthemind.org/becoming

It's rare that you encounter a fresh take on a path as well-trodden as happiness. I've read a lot of books on the topic and I have to say that Ryan Bush's take is fresh and yet simultaneously ancient. I think this is part of the reason I'm so enthusiastic about it: it integrates a trend in academic philosophy that I've yet to see anyone else talk about: Virtue Ethics. This is an ethical approach to philosophy that goes all the way back to the ancients especially Socrates, Aristotle and the Stoics. Bush integrates this old esteemed tradition with very 21st century fields like Cognitive Science and neuroscience to produce a thought-provoking map of the good life that I can't recommend highly enough.

____________________

📚 Further Reading:

- Pan W, Liu C, Yang Q, et al. (2016) The neural basis of trait self-esteem revealed by the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and resting state functional connectivity. _Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience_ 11(3): 367–376.

- Bush R. (2023) _Become Who You Are_. USA: DTM Press

- Davey CG, Pujol J and Harrison BJ (2016) Mapping the self in the brain’s default mode network. _NeuroImage_ 132: 390–397.

_________________

🎼 Media Used:

1. Letting Go — Kevin MacLeod

2. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod

3. Dreams Become Real — Kevin MacLeod

6. Anguish — Kevin MacLeod

Subscribe to Kevin MacLeod https://www.youtube.com/user/kmmusic

_________________

⌛ Timestamps:

0:00 Gain and Loss

2:45 The Third Dimension of the Good Life

4:00 How to Eudaimonia

5:21 The Spiritual Path

7:06 The Neuroscience of Self-Esteem

9:43 Virtue: the Royal Road to Eudaimonia