By Dennis Sale IN the first column of this series, I offered a frame on what constitutes wellbeing, as well as some broad theories concerning its components and determinants. The significant defining statement was that suffering, in its myriad of forms, is an objective fact relating to the human condition, and the alleviation and mitigation of areas of suffering is central to addressing wellbeing concerns. Here I do a deeper dive into understanding wellbeing from a social perspective, which includes such features as cultural contexts and parenting, and how human psychological development is shaped by such experiences – for better or for worse.
My focus in this and the following column addresses two interrelated questions that are central to a better understanding of wellbeing, and how it can be enhanced: 1) What are the existential challenges that humans face in their life experiences which can either promote or impede psychological wellbeing? 2) What societal interventions are most effective, efficient, and acceptable to promote wellbeing and mitigate specific types of suffering? What are the existential challenges that humans face in their life experiences which can either promote or impede psychological wellbeing? Certainly, drawing from the theories outlined in the previous column, the importance of such areas as the satisfaction of physical and psychological needs and finding meaning and purpose in life are key issues in this context. However, these are impacted by soc.