MARTIN Seligman, in his book, Flourish, has popularized an attempt to measure well-being that he calls “Well-Being Theory”. While he formerly advocated a three-factor model of “happiness,” he now promotes a five-element understanding of “well-being”, condensed into the mnemonic PERMA:

1. Positive emotion — Can only be assessed subjectively

2. Engagement (flow) — Like positive emotion a “flow state” can only be measured through subjective means. (It consists in being completely caught up in a positively-perceived, completely absorbing activity.  Seligman notes that this may or may not be beneficial or meaningful)

3. Relationships — The presence of friends, family, intimacy, or social connection

4. Meaning — Belonging to and serving something bigger than one’s self

5. Achievement — Accomplishment that is pursued even when it brings no positive emotion, no meaning, and nothing in the way of positive relationships.

 “Each element of well-being must itself have three properties to count as an element:

 1. It contributes to well-being.

 2. Many people pursue it for its own sake, not merely to get any of the other elements.

 3. It is defined and measured independently of the other elements.”

(Seligman, Martin, Flourish. New York: Free Press, 2011, pp. 16–20. ISBN 9781439190760.)

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