Eudomania

                Aristotle defines Eudomania  as true happiness by living well, being well, and flourishing. It is the ultimate goal, or telos, for a human being to find their purpose in life. We are guided by reason and habits to act in ways that will enable us to prosper and complete acts that are good in themselves. By completing acts that enable us to become more virtuous we are working towards reaching our goal of happiness and fulfillment. However, as imperfect human beings we encounter situations and live in a society where the definition of true happiness can be debatable.  

                Some people may argue that true happiness can be found in honor or pleasures. Aristotle states that true happiness can not be achieved in these ways. Honor is based on approval of others and therefore is not good in itself. Pleasures do not always bring about virtuous acts because they can be considered selfish and may cause a person to behave in ways they normally would not.  When we continue to satisfy our appetites we  develop bad habits. In order to be virtuous we must apply the mean between excess and deficiency that applies to our particular situation.

                True happiness can be confused depending on certain life styles. For example, many think wealth is the main contributing factor towards happiness. A wealthy person appreciates their lifestyle and lives in a rewarding fashion always looking to achieve more and satisfy their appetites. However,  a person living in poverty may look to wealth as a means to satisfy their true needs and achieve a position in which they can act in virtuous ways. They are at a disadvantage in their efforts to achieve true happiness because they  lack the means by which they can be in a stable state. Therefore, is it fair to expect virtuous habits from everyone?