How we fundamentally misunderstand ‘well-being’ | Mary Helen Immordino-Yang

Summary

The script explores well-being as a balance and flexibility to manage oneself, rather than just the absence of illness. It emphasizes that well-being is both a capacity and a state, shaped by personal actions and mindset. Practical strategies for enhancing well-being include prioritizing relationships, controlling social media use, enjoying meaningful activities with loved ones, reflecting on life's purpose, and giving to others. The modern understanding of well-being involves agency, community connection, purposefulness, and constructing stories of deep connection and meaning.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Well-being is not just the absence of disease or mental illness; it's about achieving balance and managing oneself effectively.
• 🧘 Well-being is both a capacity and a state, which can be influenced by an individual's actions and mental dispositions.
• 🧐 Neuroscience and social science contribute to our understanding of the origins and contributions to well-being.
• 🤝 Prioritizing quality relationships with those we care about is a strategic way to support our own well-being.
• 🚫 Controlling social media use and avoiding addictive behaviors can help maintain a reflective and meaningful state of being.
• 📚 Constructing meaningful narratives about our experiences can provide insight into our well-being and how to improve it.
• 🎯 Engaging in activities we enjoy with people we cherish can enhance our sense of well-being.
• 🤔 Taking time for reflection helps us understand our purpose and enact it in our lives.
• 💖 Giving to others and being engaged with our community can reap benefits that contribute to our well-being.
• 🌟 A modern understanding of well-being involves considering agency, community connection, purpose, and the stories we build with others.
• 🚀 The potential for a fulfilling life is reflected in the stories we create, which should embody agency, deep connection, and meaning.

Q & A

What is the common misconception about well-being according to the transcript?

The common misconception is that well-being is merely the absence of disease, mental illness, or strife.

How does neuroscience and developmental social science contribute to our understanding of well-being?

Neuroscience and developmental social science help us understand that the origins of well-being lie in balance, the ability, and flexibility to manage oneself.

What are the two aspects of well-being mentioned in the transcript?

Well-being is both a capacity and a state, which the brain data helps us understand.

Why is well-being not just applied to a person but conjured within the person?

Well-being is conjured within the person by their own actions and mental dispositions, emphasizing the individual's role in developing their well-being.

What is the significance of prioritizing the quality of relationships for well-being?

Prioritizing relationships with people we care about is crucial for well-being as it provides a supportive social network.

How can controlling social media use contribute to one's well-being?

Controlling social media use can prevent addictive behaviors that distract from reflection and being present, thus supporting well-being.

What is the role of reflection in enhancing well-being?

Reflection allows individuals to construct meaningful stories about their experiences, which is essential for understanding and enhancing well-being.

Why is it important to engage in activities that one enjoys with people one enjoys being with?

Engaging in enjoyable activities with loved ones can foster a sense of connection and happiness, which are key components of well-being.

What does the transcript suggest about the relationship between giving to others and well-being?

The transcript suggests that giving to others and being engaged with them can provide benefits that enhance one's own well-being.

What are the key elements of a modernized understanding of well-being as per the transcript?

A modernized understanding of well-being includes agency in one's life, connection to the community, a sense of purpose, and the building of meaningful stories with others.

How do the stories we build with others relate to our well-being?

The stories we build with others should reflect agency, deep connection, meaning, and the potential for a fulfilling life, all of which contribute to well-being.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ Understanding Well-being: Balance and Flexibility

This paragraph delves into the concept of well-being, emphasizing that it is not merely the absence of negative states but rather a balance and flexibility in managing oneself. It highlights that well-being is both a capacity and a state, influenced by an individual's actions and mental dispositions. The speaker suggests that supporting well-being involves prioritizing quality relationships, controlling social media use to avoid addictive behaviors, and reflecting on personal values and actions. The paragraph also touches on the importance of agency, community connection, and purpose in achieving a modernized understanding of well-being.

Keywords

💡Well-being

Well-being is a state of being in good health, happiness, and prosperity. In the context of the video, well-being is not just the absence of negative conditions but also involves a balance and the ability to manage oneself. It is both a capacity and a state that is influenced by one's actions and mental dispositions, emphasizing the importance of personal agency in achieving a fulfilling life.

💡Balance

Balance refers to an even distribution of various elements, creating stability and harmony. The video script discusses the origins of well-being as being about balance, suggesting that a balanced life contributes to one's overall well-being. It implies the need for equilibrium in different aspects of life, such as work, relationships, and personal time.

💡Flexibility

Flexibility in this context means the ability to adapt and adjust to different situations. The script mentions the importance of having flexibility to manage oneself effectively, which is crucial for achieving well-being. It is about being able to respond to life's challenges with resilience and adaptability.

💡Capacity

Capacity, as used in the script, refers to the potential or ability one has to perform or achieve something. In relation to well-being, it is the innate potential within a person to achieve a state of happiness and health, which can be developed and enhanced through personal actions and attitudes.

💡State

A state, in this case, is a condition or way of being. The script describes well-being as a state, indicating that it is a condition that can be achieved and experienced. It is the end result of one's efforts to maintain balance, manage oneself, and engage in activities that contribute to a sense of fulfillment.

💡Brain Data

Brain data refers to the information derived from studying the brain's structure and function. The script mentions that brain data helps us understand the contributions to well-being, suggesting that scientific research into the brain can provide insights into how well-being is achieved and maintained.

💡Agency

Agency is the ability of an individual to act independently and make free choices. The video emphasizes the importance of having agency in one's life, meaning that individuals should have the autonomy to enact the things that matter to them, which is a key component of well-being.

💡Relationships

Relationships are the connections between people. The script suggests prioritizing the quality of relationships with those around you as a way to support well-being. It implies that strong, positive relationships are essential for a person's sense of happiness and belonging.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to online platforms that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The script warns against the addictive nature of certain social media practices, suggesting that controlling one's use of social media can be a strategic move to support well-being by avoiding negative impacts on mental health.

💡Reflection

Reflection is the act of thinking deeply about one's experiences, thoughts, and feelings. The video encourages taking time to reflect as a means to understand one's life and actions better. It is a way to gain clarity and construct meaningful narratives about one's experiences, which contributes to well-being.

💡Community

Community refers to a group of people living in the same place or having common interests. The script discusses the importance of feeling connected to a community as part of well-being. It suggests that a sense of belonging and support from a community can enhance an individual's sense of purpose and happiness.

💡Purpose

Purpose is the reason for which something exists or is done. In the context of the video, having a sense of purpose is linked to well-being. It implies that individuals who feel their lives have meaning and direction are more likely to experience a state of well-being.

💡Meaning

Meaning is the significance or value of something. The script talks about the importance of constructing meaningful stories about one's life experiences. It suggests that finding meaning in one's actions and relationships can contribute to a deeper sense of well-being.

Highlights

Well-being is not just the absence of disease or mental illness, but about balance and flexibility in managing oneself.

Well-being is both a capacity and a state.

Neuroscience and developmental social science help us understand the contributions to well-being.

Well-being is conjured within a person by their own actions and dispositions of mind.

Supporting well-being involves prioritizing the quality of relationships with people you care about.

Controlling social media use and avoiding addictive behaviors can support well-being.

Reflecting and constructing meaningful stories about experiences is important for well-being.

Engaging in activities you enjoy with people you enjoy being with supports well-being.

Taking time to reflect on the purpose of actions and enacting that purpose supports well-being.

Giving to others and being engaged with others can provide benefits to one's own well-being.

A modern understanding of well-being includes having agency in one's own life.

Feeling connected to community and having a sense of purpose are crucial for well-being.

Building stories of agency, deep connection, and meaning with those around us contributes to well-being.

A life that reflects potentials and possibilities supports well-being.

Well-being involves the degree to which people can enact what matters to them.

Transcripts

- Often we think about well-being as the absence of disease,

the absence of mental illness, the absence of strife-

but the neuroscience

and also the developmental social science help us

to understand that the origins of well-being

is really about balance.

It's about an ability

and a flexibility to manage oneself.

Well-being is both a capacity and a state.

And the brain data really help us

to understand the contributions to that capacity and state.

A concept like well-being is not applied to a person.

It's conjured within the person by their own actions,

by their own dispositions of mind.

And that shifts the way in which we support a person

in developing well-being and becoming well.

I think there are practical things that you can do

to support your own well-being strategically.

Prioritizing the quality of the relationships

that you have with the people around you,

whom you care about.

Setting yourself up to have control over

certain kinds of social media use,

certain kinds of, sort of scrolling;

these kind of addictive things that sort of suck you in

to a pattern of appetitive of wanting more

and pull you out of a space where you can kind of reflect

and just sort of be;

and construct meaningful stories about how that's happening

and what that feels like.

Privileging the things that you really enjoy doing

with the people you really enjoy being with.

Taking the time to reflect

and to think about what it's all for,

and to then enact that.

Giving to others, being engaged with others,

we reap back the benefits of that.

So if we really want to think about

a modernized understanding of well-being,

we want to think about the degree

to which people have agency in their own lives

to enact the things that matter to them,

the degree to which they feel connected to community,

they feel purposeful.

The degree to which the stories that they build together

with those around them are stories of agency,

of deep connection, of meaning,

and of a life that reflects

the potentials and the possibilities that are coming next.