Depression Generation

I know the answer to it all. The chief reason our generation is so depressed is because of the lack of mentor, mentee relationships in our society stemming from a lack of adequate parenting. 

Easy enough. Thank you for reading…

No, honestly there's a lot to unpack here. Most of which is based on assumed Truths. We enter this world a blank slate. Nothing contains meaning, until we learn through association and believe the "Truth" of things. Cause and effect is taught by nature and everything else must be taught by a nurturing human. The lack of a mentor, mentee relationship or just inadequate parenting will warp our understanding of the Truth.

I never quite understood the medical diagnosis for depression. It seems every year there's yet another symptom tacked onto the malady's quark board. Google-bot says Anhedonia is the chief symptom of Depression.

Anhedonia: the lack of interest, enjoyment or pleasure from life's experience.
-Google Bot

I'm big on the etymology of things. I like when the origin of a word makes so much sense it makes the very sound of the word resonate better. Depression doesn't quite cut it. I picture a deflated balloon when I hear the word. Deflated balloons don't kill themselves from desperation. Desperate might do, but it doesn't fit the lexicon. 

I asked my cousin for help, he was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia almost 10 years ago. Believe it or not, it's easier for him to describe schizophrenia than depression. I believe everyone has experienced even a little depression before, not very many experience alternate realities in real time. I asked him if he was sad all the time, maybe that would describe his depression. He shrugged at that and said, "No. I'm not sad. I'm just not happy." 
I'm just not happy. Not sad, just not happy. Unhappy. Its the closest word that resonated with him.

To determine what is the chief reason for depression, I believe we have to better define the word unhappy and see where it all originates from. I start here because for us to explore why this generation is so unhappy, we must first define what, then, is unhappiness? I feel the best way to form a logical argument is by describing a contemporary definition of happiness which finds origins in Aristotle's philosophies and finding its inverse.

What is Exactly is Happiness?

According to the World Happiness Report, there are six factors that define happiness: Income, health, having someone to count on, having a sense of freedom to make key life decisions, generosity, and the absence of corruption. In other words a persons access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The World Happiness Report is an annual publication that ranks countries based on various factors contributing to happiness. It is a partnership of the Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR's Editorial Board. All six factors are used to derive a statistical representation of what Aristotle called "eudaimonia."

Aristotle identified a person with strong character virtues and sufficient external goods as achieving "eudaimonia."
Aristotle stressed the importance of the person's character, built by mentorship and habits, and he famously defined eudaimonia as "the activity of the soul according to virtue". In other words, high eudaimonia required a virtuous character, included moderation, fortitude, a sense of justice, an ability to form and maintain friendships, as well as good citizenship in the polis (the political community).

Today we describe the outward facing virtues of friendship and citizenship as "pro-social" attitudes and behavior. For the Greeks, living the right kind of life was a hard-won skill. The Greeks used the term arete, which means excellence or virtue. 

Aristotle would say you might feel purpose in life when all of these things are achieved. A life of sustained purpose will experience bouts of hardship driven for the sake of achievement. Little achievements along the way grant hits of happiness. There is never numbness, never unhappiness but rather a spectrum of feeling. This could be any feeling, but feeling nevertheless. Feelings cannot be unhappy if there are little strands of excitement strung throughout a complex tapestry of fear, sadness, relief, and all the other things you feel when you go through the ups and downs of the rollercoaster that is a purpose driven life.

So looking at inverse of eudaimonia. Unhappiness is in no particular order:

• A widespread lack of mentorship
• Rampant bad habits
• Excess over moderation
• Widespread sensitivity
• No sense of justice
• A difficulty to form and maintain friendships
• Indifference in supporting and participating in the political community.

None of this matters if you were never taught that it does. This lesson doesn't necessarily have to come from a parent, it could be from any mentor like relationship.