What is well-being?
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Well-being, beyond injunctions.
The word is everywhere. Too likely. We're also talking about it at Domaine Singulier. But what exactly is well-being? Is it a sensation, an emotion, a discipline, a quest? We wanted to take a step back and explore, between philosophy, science, and beauty, what ultimately lies behind this word.
An etymology. The term well-being comes from the Latin bene esse : to be well. Not "better than," not "perfect." Just being , and well. A simple state, without performance.
What the philosophers say about it.
For the Epicureans , well-being lies in a simple life, without pain or trouble. For the Stoics , it does not depend on events but on our response to them. For Spinoza , it is rooted in the power to act, in accordance with our deepest nature.
Our contemporary philosophers also have their point of view. For Charles Pépin , it is a living relationship with the world, inhabiting the moment. For Cynthia Fleury , attention to oneself is inseparable from the care of others. For Frédéric Lenoir , well-being is a disposition of the mind that is born of gratitude, contemplation, beauty. For Martha C. Nussbaum , it is the capacity to live a dignified life, the real capacity to do, to be, to feel, which gives meaning to one's life. For Byung Chul Han , true well-being is the return to rest, to silence, to contemplation far from agitation and the desire to "always get better".
From a philosophical perspective, well-being is not a passing emotion but an inner clarification. A state of coherence between what one is, what one does, and what one feels.
What scientists say about it.
Contemporary science confirms it: well-being is multi-factorial . It is based on a subtle balance between body, emotion, cognition and environment. The hormones of well-being (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, etc.) are stimulated by touch, human connections, natural light, movement, laughter, contact with nature. Neuroscience also shows the importance of rituals, mindfulness and sensoriality. Well-being is not what we seek. It is what emerges from a state that is ultimately awake, connected, present, connected to oneself, to others and to nature.
What the artists say about it.
Artists don't seek to define well-being. Through their creations, they awaken our senses, connecting us to ourselves and to others. They offer refuge, breathing space, openness, emotion, and sensation.
In literature, well-being is often modest but profound. It lies in the ordinary, in gestures and moments. For example, in Proust , it is a madeleine in tea and all the memories it awakens. In Colette , it is the scent of the skin, the flowers in the garden. In Annie Ernaux , it is memories, raw, assumed. In Jane Austen , well-being is social, it is also peace found, reason after emotions. In Victor Hugo , it is moral and spiritual. In Delphine de Vigan , it is the fragile bond rediscovered, the repair, the word that relieves. In David Foekinos , well-being is a form of gentle resistance to the agitation of the world.
" I shouldn't say happiness, but there's a missing word that evokes the simple fact of being well. David Foenkinos. (The Head of the Job).
What if “being well” was born from simple things and gestures?
We often believe that we have to go far away, change everything, or control everything. But perhaps well-being begins simply with simple things, familiar gestures and rituals without commands. In paying attention to the present, in the beauty of everyday gestures and small, ordinary moments.
At Domaine Singulier, we love the idea of inviting you to live in the moment.
- by spraying our perfumes whenever you feel like it, to surround yourself with softness; by taking the time to smell and feel the magic of their "living" scents which unfold like those in a garden and in the heart of nature, with emotion and delicacy
- by making toilet breaks a break for yourself
- while washing your hands or in the shower , listening to the water, taking the time to smell and feel the pleasure and softness of the scented foam
- by reading aloud the words of one of our Domaine Singulier mantras created with ceramic artist Amélie Brun
- contemplating our photo " a man facing the sea " and seeing the open sea, hearing the sea.
And for you, what does well-being mean? => Does the subject inspire you? Don't hesitate to write to us to tell us.
To read our manifesto, click here