We all seek to become our best selves in one way or another. We all have long-term goals that are constantly buzzing around inside of our heads, motivating us to learn and explore. However, we also enjoy the little things in life, like watching TV or eating dessert. It’s difficult to find a balance between doing what we think we should do and what we want to do, between the large things and the little things. This is a topic that has been debated for centuries. Greek philosopher Aristotle once argued that in order to become the best version of ourselves, we must maximize our potential and act correspondingly with our deepest values and principles. Contrastingly, Greek philosopher Socrates’ student Aristippus believed that being our best selves is all about seeking pleasure and enjoying the moment. Modern education instills students to agree with Aristotle, to be more mature and disciplined when going about our daily schedules and tasks. But does doing so truly help students succeed in school? What does all of this prove about the connection between academic success and well-being?
During this year of 2020, a pair of European researchers named Katharina Bernecker and Daniela Becker conducted two studies on well-being. They recruited over 500 participants who took part in various assessments. Ultimately, the studies showed that “trait hedonic capacity,” participants’ ability to engage in pleasurable and relaxing activities, is directly connected with overall well-being and life satisfaction. People with the best well-being had great self-control, but they were also able to make time for enjoyment in their everyday lives. Quite obviously, well-being is a crucial factor to academic success. Based on the results of this study, we are led to the conclusion that students can achieve well-being and therefore move towards academic success through balancing their enjoyment of big things and little things, work and pleasure.
This is much easier said than done in the time that we are living in right now. Not only are we reminded everyday to reach for the top in virtually everything, but we are also burdened with the stresses of facing a global pandemic and a changing world in general. Our minds are constantly pushed to be “on” instead of “off.” This can lead students to “forget” about having fun and embracing their passions when learning. On the other hand, they can "forget" about the pleasure of little things as well. I was one of these students during the first semester of school. We were going through the curriculum very fast and class times were increased from 50 minutes to more than 2.5 hours to better exercise physical distancing. Exams and important deadlines occurred every week or so. I adapted fairly quickly to this new system of learning, but I found that I was constantly telling myself to work harder and get desirable marks. I felt guilty when drawing or listening to music because I was constantly thinking about all of the more important tasks that I had yet to do and ought to be doing. As a result, I couldn’t enjoy anything that I did and barely spared any time for myself. I had more trouble concentrating when studying, and I lost interest in going online to learn about subjects that I’m passionate about. Eventually, I got a hold of myself and I listened to the tiny voice inside my head that kept urging me to quit working and do something for pure entertainment. My life became more balanced and my mind became mostly cleared of “brain fog” and negative thoughts. I’m still working on this balance, but I can now surely say that although Aristotle wasn’t wrong, Aristippus had something remarkable going on with his argument.
In the long run, it’s very important to savor those tiny bright spots every day, to give ourselves permission to “switch off” for a while. We could go on 15 minute awe walks, or set a 24-hour period each week when we’re not allowed to do any sort of work or practice. We could try out the positivity challenge, where we pick a single positive emotion like joy or serenity and go about our day seeking opportunities for ourselves as well as for others to experience that emotion. Life is like humans’ perspective of the universe. Even though we spend the majority of our lives within our homes, our school, our workplace, and our neighbourhood, there are trillions of tiny but radiant stars, comets, and other planets beyond our field of vision and knowledge. Taking the time to enjoy these things will also allow us to see ourselves, especially for students who are still in their youth. In seeking to become our best, we should also take time to rest.
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Resources
Enrique. (2020, October 24). Having Long-Term Goals Is Important, but Research Suggests That We Should Enjoy the Little Things Too. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from https://bulletproofmusician.com/having-long-term-goals-is-important-but-research-suggests-that-we-should-enjoy-the-little-things-too/