I learned a new word recently. It’s one that psychiatry professionals know of, but I’d never heard it until just five days ago. It’s been ruminating around in my head ever since. The word is euthymic.
The word euthymic is used primarily as a medical term describing at state of tranquil ease in a person with bipolar disorder or other mood disorders. It is a term that articulates the contrast between a widely varying mood state, with more extreme highs and lows, versus a state of relative ease and tranquility.
This euthymic state of general ease is the therapeutic goal of psychiatric and psychological treatment in these areas. But I wonder if there’s not a goal in it for everyone, not just those suffering from mental health concerns.
The word euthymia derives from Greek terms that ultimately mean ‘I am happy and I make others happy.’ It is derived from word components that mean ‘a wellness of the soul.’
The concept of euthymia as a philosophy was conceived of by ancient Greek philosopher Democritus, who believed that this state is one of satisfaction with our lives. More importantly, satisfaction in the presence of those who are admired, even envied, by others. It is of personal fulfillment regardless of the lot of our lives or the expectations of others.
That, in a nutshell, is how I want to live my own life. It should be how all of us want to live our lives. Free from many of the burdensome expectations of society, in favor of just plain feeling good.
How might our lives be different if we made a goal for ourselves of simply feeling good?
I am all for lofty dreams and goals. I have many of them myself. But the goals I have for myself are not based on what I perceive society wants for me. They are based on the quality of life I wish for myself.
I don’t need gold plated sink faucets in my bathroom. I need healthy, fresh water. I don’t need a $500,000 sports car, I need a safe, reliable way to get from point A to point B.
That’s not to say that I, like most of us, wouldn’t like to get to that point B in style. I like style. But we need to be cautious and wonder to ourselves whether or not the style we prefer is for the benefit of others’ opinions of us, instead of our own opinion.
There needs to be a balance. And the definition of that balance should come from a desire to reach a state of euthymia, not impressing others just so we feel better about ourselves.
All of this comes from choosing to take simple stock of our emotional state. How are you feeling right now? What is it that you think would make you feel better if you’re not feeling so great?
What do you think of yourself? Are you happy with who you are? Are you happy with what you’re doing? If not, why?
As you are answering these questions for yourself, take special note of the role that other people's opinions of you play in the decisions you make toward feeling better.
Do other people's opinions play an outsized role in the type of car you choose or the clothing you wear? If they do, euthymia is a steep hill to climb, rather than an easy state of being. And you deserve more.
Go for simplicity. Go for ease and tranquility. Even in the midst of turmoil, unnecessarily high expectations, social unrest, and societal competition for who is the most fabulous, best dressed, most admired, choose to rise above it all.
The best revenge against those who seek to make you feel unworthy, weather deliberately or by implication through their perceived desire to be impressive to others themselves, is to cultivate your own satisfaction, ease, and worth in the absence of the things which others expect from you as signals of so-called “success.” Others’ definitions of success need not be your own. Their state of euthymia is not forthcoming.
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