don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Americans spend more on medical care than any other society, but are not the healthiest folks on the planet, by a long shot. A third of us are obese; well more than half (64 percent) are overweight. Of course, medical care and the so-called health care system are not about health so much as about the lucrative, very big business of treating sickness. An alternative to all this is to do much to stay well in the first place, an idea that in the late 70's spurred the development of the wellness movement.

Wellness is about becoming "weller," for its own sake, as a richer way to be alive. A wellness approach or perspective is a philosophy as well as a lifestyle. Consider that a characteristic of philosophy is "to ponder and seek a more successful, enjoyable existence." That's wellness--"a conscious choice to think and behave in a disciplined fashion in pursuit of optimal health and maximum satisfaction in life."

Philosophy is marked by a quest for wisdom through intellectual means and moral self-discipline. Just so wellness - a concept that embraces a positive drive for attractive outcomes, such as joy and added purpose in life. (This is quite distinct from the rather negative traditional health education orientation of disease avoidance or life extension.) Wellness enthusiasts continually seek new information in order to rise above the mediocrity of normalcy.

The chances are good that your love of good health and an examined, challenging and fulfilling existence leads you to philosophize every day. It also protects against "stubborn entrenchment" with harmful habits and toward a desire for wisdom -- not to mention an interest in truth as you see it.

For these reasons, a wellness seeker is a philosopher as much as a health nut! (I consider the term "health nut" flattering. If it's "nutty" to be fit, to dine consciously and to pursue excellence in varied skill areas associated with self-management, well, lock me up! I'm a certified, unrepentant psyche case!) So, to everyone out there seeking a healthier lifestyle, looking for health in all the right places and making disciplined choices and all of that -- you are philosophizing! To become and remain healthy, forgot about diets--try becoming a philosopher, instead! It's a much more enjoyable and challenging approach to a healthy, as well as a good and examined, life.

Philosophy invites a continuous curiosity about causes and laws underlying reality. That description, too, is consistent with a deliberate decision to seek excellence in body and mind. To function as well as possible, it helps to hone diverse physical and mental skills, including effective relationships, exceptional fitness levels, emotional intelligence, humor and play, critical thinking and much more.

The physical part of wellness might be the part of the concept that has received all the attention to date. Most books, seminars and conferences on the subject focus on physical topics (fitness, nutrition, stress management, dealing with problem areas such as weight gain, for instance). There is or should be another part. Philosophy, after all, demands inquiry into the nature of things based on logical reasoning. A wellness lifestyle works best when supported by the evidence of science and reason, not anecdotes or unexamined traditions. A wellness lifestyle should not be based solely on faith in a doctor or other expert's advice. As in science, beliefs and assumptions underlying a wellness lifestyle are subject to critique and analysis. Like philosophy, all invite continuous conceptualization and reformulation. I believe wellness promoters should encourage health seekers to reassess the fundamentals of their thinking about the good life based on science and reason. While very little has been done in the wellness field beyond this first part of a wellness philosophy, there is no reason the focus of wellness promoters has to remain on this limited topic. After all, the problems of the day cry out for attention to the second part of wellness.

The second part of wellness might be termed "rational social wellness." As a complement to personal wellness, rational social wellness would look outward in service to others. In this instance, the wellness seeker might ask, "How can I influence a better world." This invites attention to logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics and yes, even epistemology, whatever that is! (Just kidding - a focus on the limits on knowledge must concern all serious wellness advocates.)

Everyone must find his or her own answers, of course, and fine-tune the action consequences of those initial "answers," over a lifetime, depending on one's opportunities, resources and ambitions. As briefly as possible, let me sketch my own sense of rational social wellness that constitutes part two of my own wellness philosophy.

Rational social wellness concerns the embrace and promotion of reason. It consists of a mindset that seeks affirmative alternatives to current problems, including intolerance, superstition, mediocrity and existential despair. A person with a dedication to a rational social wellness lifestyle seeks constructive, amiable and enjoyable dialogues on the subject of best pathways to a good life not only for him/herself, but also for as many as possible. With such a two-part lifestyle, the wellness seeker values certain freedoms, guards against anti-rational social wellness and promotes qualities that support rational social wellness. Here are examples (illustrative, not definitive) of each category.

FREEDOMS VALUED:

• Freedom of thought. 
• Freedom of, freedom from religion and freedom to change one's religion.
• Freedom of speech. 
• Freedom of action.

GUARDS AGAINST: 

• Victim mentality. 
• Belief that God is on your side (If God exists, there is no evidence that he/she/it ever took sides.) 
• Self-pity. 
• Opposition to modernity. 
• The notion that God's laws can only be discerned by a caste of high officials.

PROMOTES: 

• Human rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 
• Resistance to systems that seek to deny such human rights. 
• Notion that one's conscience must be one's guide. 
• Tolerance for dissent, differences. 
• Skeptical challenges to nonsense and misinformation.
• Cosmic modesty-a view that guards against taking oneself or humanity's place in the universe too seriously. 
• A willingness to question people in charge.

A two-part wellness philosophy will help people overcome the forces of unreason that oppose social progress, divide people, fan the flames of militarism/ nationalism and otherwise lead to fanaticism. Ancient myths, supernatural claims and apocalyptic visions are elements of such unreason against which a complete (two-part, in other words) wellness philosophy can safeguard.

Tomorrow, I'll offer a summary of values that wellness promoters might integrate into their efforts to assist people to live healthier and more fulfilling lifestyles.

All the best. Be well and look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MENTAL DOMAIN under the skill area of mental health. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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