We all have a set of virtues that we value. You may not be particularly religious or philosophical, but virtues do not have to be. At heart, virtues are the character traits that are most important to you, the ones that would allow you to be the best possible version of yourself.
No one is ever perfectly knowledgeable, perfectly brave, perfectly kind, and so on. But aspiring towards certain virtues has been linked to personal happiness and fulfillment since the days of the ancient Greeks.1 There have been recent studies, too, that show that virtues correlate to happiness.
Understanding Virtues
Let’s get any preconceived notions of self-sacrifice, Dickensian novels, or church sermons out of the way first. Although religions do promote certain virtues, the ancient Greeks considered virtues were simply character traits that conveyed an excellence of character. Plato, in particular, described four “cardinal” virtues:
- Wisdom
- Courage
- Self-control
- Justice
These are so effective as the four pillar virtues because they are wide, encompassing terms. Wisdom can refer to intelligence, creative thinking, or the wisdom gained through experience. Courage is shown in a plethora of ways. Self-control can be implemented in many different aspects of life. And justice is a fundamental need for life to be fair and just for all.
What virtues do you aspire to? Maybe you value creativity, or maybe you feel like your best self when you show kindness to those around you. Take a moment to think about those traits that help you to reach your full potential.
Do Virtues Increase Happiness? What the Studies Show
In 2010, a study was conducted with 240 second year college students throughout England. They were first asked to write down what they believed their signature strengths to be, as well as their goals for the semester. Next, they were asked the question “How much have you used each of your signature strengths in your life in general so far this semester?” Finally, “How much have you used each of your signature strengths in working towards the goals you identified for this semester?”2
Six weeks later, they answered the same questions again, followed by questions about their satisfaction with their life. What this study found was that there was a distinct correlation between utilizing signature strengths for goal progress and overall life satisfaction. These signature strengths were also often within the cardinal virtues. A student might have valued their creativity, their boldness, their passion for equality. These are all examples of working to emulate those virtues.
There have also been countless studies that show that volunteering and being charitable has positive effects on happiness. In a 2021 study, a team sought out to determine whether volunteering made people happier or whether happier people were more likely to volunteer.3 What they found was that it sometimes takes a while to see the benefits of volunteering, but the effect definitely went both ways. Likewise, activism has been shown to release a shot of dopamine to many individuals, giving a sense of happiness and fulfillment.4 Simply put: engaging with the virtues of kindness and equality (justice) makes people happier.
Why Virtues Boost Happiness
We’ve seen the research, so now let’s talk about why virtues boost happiness. Remember that at its core, virtues are those “excellent” character traits that help you reach your full potential. This is something that everyone wants to be. Here are a few ways virtues can boost your overall life satisfaction:
Putting Good Into the World
With so much bad news — whether about politics, the environment, or the economy — it can be easy to feel hopeless. If you’re already prone to depressive episodes, you may feel that there’s nothing you can do at this point to make the world a better place. Aspiring to your virtues, especially virtues that have to do with helping others, can help you to get out of that mindset. In volunteering or engaging with activism, you can often see the difference you’re making, even if it’s on a small level.
A Sense of Purpose
Even if you are not particularly ambitious when it comes to a career, you probably strive to have purpose and meaning in your life. Aspiring towards certain virtues gives you something to work towards. It offers a road map to self-improvement as well as something concrete you can practice. If creativity is a key virtue for you, maybe that’s engaging with your art once a day. If courage is something you want to lean into, making a list of things you’re afraid to do and then attempting to tackle them can help.
Stronger Motivation
Do you remember being in school and thinking how boring the assigned reading was? But then if you were allowed to choose your own book for a book report, the assignment became more interesting. We all want to pursue the things that mean something to us personally. When we do, we become more motivated. This is why when your goals align with your virtues, you find you are more invested in achieving them. There’s more at stake than a perfunctory checkmark as you achieve the goal.
Mental wellness is all about reaching your life worth living goals, which are often tied to your virtues. Rivia Mind can provide you with mental health support, and be a guiding hand or sense of direction you need to start on that path. Browse our providers now to see who may be an ideal fit to help you move towards your ultimate happiness.
Resources:
- Virtues, Happiness, and Stoicism – Psychology Today
- Using signature strengths in pursuit of goals: effects on goal progress, need satisfaction, and wellbeing – Linley, P. A., Nielsen, K. M., Gillett, R., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2010)
- Does Volunteering Make Us Happier, or Are Happier People More Likely to Volunteer? Addressing the Problem of Reverse Causality When Estimating the Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering – Lawton, Ricky N., Gramatki, Iulian, & Fujiwara, Daniel (2021)
- Implications for Youth Activism and Well-Being – Ballard, Parissa & Ozer, Emily J (2016)
