title: Living well in light of science.
abstract: This article discusses some findings of the modern science of happiness in the context of historical understandings of happiness. Comparing teachings of the ancient wisdom traditions to those of modern positive psychology and social science, I argue that there is surprising correspondence between the two. The happy life, both ancients and modern agree, involves training and the development and mastery of particular character traits.
authors.affiliation: Department of History, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
authors.forename: Darrin M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McMahon
mesh_terms: D006240:Happiness; D000070497:Healthy Lifestyle / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019369:Life; D012922:Social Change
keywords: happiness; history; psychology