Carpe Diem

In this Article (Index)

• The Evolution and History of Carpe Diem and Savoring Life
• What is Carpe Diem?
• Ancient Greeks and the Meaning of Life
• Hedonism
• Eudaimonia
• Cynics
• Stoicism
• The Bible
• Modern Views on Carpe Diem
• YOLO
• Carpe Diem, Mindfulness, and Savoring the Moment are Complementary
• Mindfulness
• Savoring
• The Benefits and Positive Effects of Carpe Diem
• It enhances Positive Emotions
• Slows Life Pace
• Positive Affect
• Reduced Depression
• Stress, Anxiety, and Achievement
• Resilience
• Less Worrying
• Gratitude, Life Satisfaction, and Time Perspective
• Closing comments

The Evolution and History of Carpe Diem and Savoring Life

What is Carpe Diem

The words "Carpe Diem" were first mentioned in a poem written in 23 BC by Roman poet Horace (65-8 BC), in his work "Odes".

Carpe Diem appears in a verse referring to the fleeting nature of time, in Latin it says: "Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." = "While we talk, envious time will have fled: pluck the day, trusting as little as possible to the future."

This poem reflects a conversation in front of the stormy Tyrrhenian sea between a wise, old man and a young girl named Leuconë (Greek for "white mind"). The man advises her to lower her long term expectations, pluck what today offers, and enjoy the small joys of daily life. The essence of Carpe Diem.

The full text of this poem is given below:

You should not ask —to know is a sin— which end
the gods have given to me, or to you, Leuconoë,
nor should you meddle with Babylonian calculations.
How much better to suffer whatever will be, whether Jupiter gives us more winters,
or whether this is our last, which now weakens the Tyrrhenian sea with opposing pumice stones.
Be wise, strain the wine, and cut back long hope into a small space.
While we talk, envious time will have fled: pluck the day, trusting as little as possible to the future. Horace, (Odes 1:11)

The Latin verb carpe is usually translated as "seize", which has a forceful, almost violent implication. Carpe actually means to "pluck", to "pick", and "gather", suggesting a softer and more appreciative action. Diem means "day", so the advice is to "pluck the day". It is a metaphor, like plucking a flower, or snatching, catching something as it passes us by.(1)

The concept evolved, and Carpe Diem now means living the present moment and being aware of its uniqueness, whether it is pleasant or not.

Ancient Greeks and the Meaning of Life

In antiquity, when life expectancy was at most 30 years, 30% to 50% of children did not live past their first year, and where 40% of people didn't reach adulthood, life was fleeting.

Famine, war, pestilence, infections, common ailments took their toll. Life was hard and tough

It is in this context that different phylosophical schools in Ancient Greece tried to provide guidance on how live a happy, satisfying life, and feel fulfilled in the face of external challenges, suffering, and death.

Hedonism

Hedonism is one of these philosophies. Its name derives from the Greek word hēdonē = "pleasure", as it considers that the pursuit of pleasure, the avoidance of pain, and sensual self-indulgence is the ultimate good and the main goal in life.

Aristippus (435-350 BC) was one of its key philosophers.

Hedonists seek agreeable sensations, all of their actions have pleasure as their aim. No search of virtue, only idleness and self-indulgence, a passive attitude towards life.

However, not all hedonists lived lives of debauchery. Many sought pleasure through contentment, friendship, conversation, reading, and peace of mind. All of these are moderate and natural sources of pleasure.

Eudaimonia

The concept of Eudaimonia or Eudemonia, (ευδαιμονια) is that of a life worth living.

Although we tend to translate it as "happiness", it had a deeper meaning, it implies flurishing, living well, virtue, morality. The word combines the Greek terms eu = "good" and daimon = "spirit" or "soul".

Eudaimonia, as a goal in life, and the ultimate good to be attained, was first described by Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his work "Nicomachean Ethics". Living a virtuous life, with purpose, was the life worth living, the true meaning of life couldn't be found in the pursuit of vain physical pleasure as proposed by the hedonists. It required effort and responsibility.

Aristotle considered that one had to be active, not passive, and that virtues were necessary but not sufficient to achieve eudaimonia.

One also needed luck, and a combination of positive external factors such as health, wealth, education, and good looks. A slave, someone disfigured, or ill, could lead a moral life and cultivate their character, but wouldn't reach the state of eudaimonia because they carried an intrinsic burden that shackled them to unhappiness.

And that the happy person both lives well and acts well harmonizes with the argument. For [happiness] was pretty much said to be a certain kind of living well and good action. Aristotle, Ethics, Book I, ch. 8, 20)

Modern studies on eudemonia (4) define it as "focus[ing] on the pursuit of personal growth... excellence and virtue. It is about developing one's capabilities and doing one's best."

These studies have shown that eudemonia favors academic performance and subjective wellbeing. The latter, in turn, is the outcome of the interplay of self-reflection, one's own actions, and pursuing a better version of oneself in the face of life's challenges.

These studies ratify Aristotle's perspective that eudemonia implies effort and action, while hedonism does is passive. Hedonism is about getting things one wants, eudemonia is found among the things one wants.

Cynics

For Cynics, like Diogenes of Sinope (c. 412-323 BC), eudaimonia could only be found in total self-sufficiency (autarkeia), and by rejecting the constraints imposed by society (anaideia).

Cynics were individualists, irreverent and provocative. Their goal was to live a "natural" and simple life, stripped-down, and basic. However, they took their ideas to extremes and it never became a mainstream philosophy. The Cynic considered that what was not shameful for a dog should not be shameful for a person, and therefore they acted with impudence and shamelessness, in complete disregard of modesty and other social conventions.

Stoicism

The Stoics, starting with Zeno of Citium (c. 334–262 BC) and continued by Romans such as Seneca the Younger (c.4 BC-65 AD) and Epictetus (c. 50–135 AD), took up the idea of eudaimonia but stripped the Aristotelian need for external elements like health, position, or wealth.

For Stoics, only through high internal moral values could one live a fulfilling eudaimonic life.(2)

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) embraced Stoicism, and considered that virtue, reason, justice, and duty were the goals of life, while wealth, power, and reputation were transient and unworthy. Life had to be lived accepting what can't be changed. Below are a few quotes from Marcus Aureius' book Meditations, which deals with how to live a worthy life, death, and the finitude of time.(3)

• "Do but your duty, and do not trouble yourself, whether it is in the cold, or by a good fire, whether you are overwatched, or satisfied with sleep, whether you have a good word or a bad one, whether you are dying, or doing anything else, for this last must be done at one time or other. It is part of the business of life to leave it, and here too it suffices to manage the present well." (Book VI - 2.)
• "Make the best of your time while you have it." (Book VIII - 44.)
• "Consider what death will make of you, both as to body and mind, recollect the shortness of life, the immeasurable extent of time, both past and future, and how slenderly all things are put together." (Book XII - 7.)

Stoicism can be summarized by the phrase: "Happiness is accepting things as they are."

The Bible

The Bible in its Old and New Testaments noted the pleasures of life and enjoying the fleeting present moment. In Ecclesiastes, pleasure is commended, as a gift from God, because His ways are mysterious, death is inevitable, and life is unfair, a similar context is given in Psalms. The texts in Isaiah and 1 Corinthians did so in a moralizing tone, contrasting the vain pursuit of earthly pleasures in the present with eternal hope for those living according to God's laws. Below we quote the scripture.

• "So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun." Ecclesiastes 8:15
• "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
• "Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”" Isaiah 22:13.
• "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." 1 Corinthians 15:32

Isaiah lived long before the Greek phylosophers (c.700 BC), Salomon and David, respectively authors of Ecclesiastes and the Psalms, also predated them (c.1000 BC). Paul, the Apostol wrote his letter to the Corinthians during the Roman renaissance of Stoicisim (c.55 AD).

The Bible assumes that life is a gift from God, and one should celebrate life, however, in general, living for the Glory of God is the ultimate goal in life, and the path to an everlasting afterlife.

Modern views on Carpe Diem

The movie Dead Poets Society (1989), popularized a poem by Robert Herrick, published in 1648, named "To the Virigins, To Make Much of Time". This poem written 1500 years after Marcus Aurelius, and 1670 years after Horace, takes up the Carpe Diem theme, promoting the notion of living for the momentm and enjoying it before it is too late. We quote it below.

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And, while ye may, go marry;
For, having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.

Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) notec the sobering effect of death on our lives, and proposed that we confront death, in an earnest memento mori (Latin for "remember you will die") manner.

He accepted the Carpe Diem notion, but he criticized the sensual vanity of hedonists.

In his essay "The Decisiveness of Death. At the Side of a Grave" he stated that: "when conceived in earnestness death gives energy to live as nothing else does; it makes a man awake and watchful as nothing else does. Death makes the sensuous man say, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” But this is the cowardly joy of the life of sensuality, this despicable order of things where one lives in order to eat and drink, instead of eating and drinking in order to live."

American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) considered life as a journey of self discovery and enjoy the moment. The often misquoted phrase "Life is a Journey not a destination", attributed to him is much deeper. In fact, he wrote the following:

To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom. Ralph Waldo Emerson Experience Essays. Prose, 1841

YOLO

The notion of carpe diem revived in the 2010s, under the aphorism of YOLO (You Only Live Once), and proposed living life to the fullest and embracing new experiences, but this time it suggested taking risks and had a more reckless perspective than the traditional seizing the day. It promoting rash, impulsive, and even risky behavior.

Carpe Diem, Mindfulness, and Savoring the Moment are Complementary

Modern science has explored the implications of the Carpe Diem perspective on life, happiness, and wellbeing. There are, besides the hedonist perspective, two other viewpoints: one is mindfulness, the other is savoring, and both are linked to the Greek concept of eudaimonia.

This section will look into these life-guiding attitudes.

A paper, by Kiken, Lundber, and Frederickson (2017) (7) explores the complementary effects of mindfulness and savoring the moment on wellness.

Although they may seem similar, or even equivalent, they are two different concepts.

Mindfulness

Being mindful requires a nonjudgmental awareness, and focus on what is taking place now, in the present moment. This can involve pleasant experiences, and also neutral ones, or even unpleasant events. It is feeling, with a wide open mind, the present.

Savoring

Although the concept of savoring the moment is similar to mindfulness, because it also involves being aware of an experience that is happening in the present, it is a different concept.

The word as a verb (savor) comes from the mid 13th-century and meant "give pleasure to" or "have a pleasant aroma", it came from the Old French word savorer = to "taste", "appreciate", "care for", whose origin is found in the Latin root sapor = "taste", "flavor". It is appropriate, one can savor, appreciate, take in what the present time has to offer.

Savoring differs from mindfulness because it focuses only on pleasant, positive experiences, savoring them. Savoring also involves strategies like thoughts and actions to increase the good feeling as it takes place. For instance thinking about how pleasant it is, how grateful one is for experiencing it. Smiling, taking it in, using ones senses to seize it. Sharing the experience with a friend, or recalling it later.

Savoring takes place in the here and now, as one savors the positive feelings experienced, as one looks back, or looks ahead, anticipating it, or enjoys the moment. The act of savoring these feelings requires time to enjoy the experience, and the first reaction one has when savoring, is to slow down, try to make the moment last longer, to take it all in at a leisurely pace, relaxed, slow an in an unhurried manner.(8)

The Complementary Roles of Savoring and Mindfulness

The study conducted by Kiken, Lundber, and Frederickson (2017) (7) concluded that both savoring and mindfulness play complementary roles, and interact, producing positive emotions and mental health benefits.

...mindfulness may reveal pleasant aspects of experience in daily life, whereas savoring ability may provide strategies that increase enjoyment of pleasant experiences as they occur. Kiken, Lundber, and Frederickson (2017) (7)

The Benefits and Positive Effects of Carpe Diem

Different studies have reported that Carpe Diem, which in these studies is equated with savoring, and eudaimonia, has positive effects on our mental health and well-being.

Mental and Psychological Benefits of Savoring and Mindfulness

It Enhances Positive Emotions

Regarding mindfulness, Keng, Smoski, & Robins (2011) (9) noted its positive effects, such as "increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation."

A study by Wilson and MacNamara (2024) reported that savoring the moment intensifies, amplifies and sustains (upregulates) positive emotions.(11)

Savoring takes time: Slows Life Pace

As mentioned further up, savoring requires slowing down to take in the experience and savor the positive feelings it provokes.(8)

One must slow down one's daily pace and take a break to be able to fully feel and enjoy the moment. You can't hurry the pleasure of savoring.

However, some people don't have the capacity to slow down and enjoy the moment. When confronted with time passing by during a vacation, some people react positively, and aware of its fleetingness, focus on making the most out of the remaining time, and enjoying it to the fullest. Others, on the other hand, react negatively, and can't enjoy an experience because they feel that they will soon be back at their work.

Savoring and Well-being

A Study(6) collected data about the emotions experienced by 285 adults (ages 25 to 85 years), between 2018 and 2021 and found that people "were more likely to savor moments when they were with close social partners. Older people were more likely than younger people to report savoring when experiencing high levels of positive affect. The tendency to savor was also tied to psychological well-being among individuals independent of their age."

The authors concluded that these findings "suggest that savoring may contribute to well-being, helping to account for age advantages in well-being."

Positive Affect

Positive affect is a formal, scholarly name for pleasurable emotions such as confidence, joy, enthusiasm, and positivity. It is a state where one feels alert, full of energy, active, and a good mood. It protects our mental health, improves our social engagements, and provides resilience to stress. Positive affect is essential for happiness.

Well-being theories suggest that people who are in a positive affect state tend to engage in eudaimonic behaviors, and these, in turn, build up one's physical, social, and psychological resources. These resources help individuals cope with stress and increase resilience and well-being.

Chen and Zeng (2021) (12) explored the effects of hedonic (pleasure-seeking) and eudaimonic orientations and found that although both "hedonic and eudaimonic orientations contribute to improving individual well-being only when people prioritize eudaimonia over hedonia."

Pure hedonism is linked with procrastination, lower self control, and addictive behaviours which may harm well-being and distract an individual from achieving long-term goals, as momentary pleasures may seem more accessible than long-term goals.

Those who prioritize "eudaimonia over hedonia may boost happiness directly, perhaps by affecting individuals’ decision-making in situations with goal conflicts". Eudaimonia, as we mentioned further up, requires extra efforts and sacrifices, delaying immediate pleasure, but provides long term well-being benefits.

Reduced Depression

Savoring the moment involves not only present enjoyment, but also anticipation before the experience, and joyful reminiscence after it has taken place.

Bryant (2003) (5) reported that the ability to savor the moment has a positive effect on happiness, and that it also reduces depressive symptoms.

The state of eudaimonia (or eudaimonic well-being) has a positive effect on depression. A meta-analysis by Ruini and Cesetti (2019) (13) reviewed studies involving almost 82,000 participants and found that these "studies confirmed the robust, inverse correlation between eudaimonia and depression... Various interventions were found to be effective both in promoting eudaimonia and in addressing depression, ranging from cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, to positive psychotherapy." By inverse correlation the authors mean that the higher the effects of eudaimonia, the lower are the effects of depression.

Stress, Anxiety, and Achievement

A study involving college students by Kryza-Lacombe M, Tanzini E, Neill SO, (2019) (14), explored the interplay of eudaimonia and hedonia with college grades, depression, and stress.

Previous research suggested that individuals leading what literature calls a "Full Life", with high levels of hedonic and eudaimonic motivation experience more wellbeing (satisfaction, positive affect, flourishing, and carefreeness) in comparison to those with low levels of hedonism and eudaimonia (or "Empty Life") or those with a mix of low and high levels of both

Those with high levels of eudaimonia had higher grades, but there was no correlation between grades and hedonia. Those with high levels of hedonia and eudaimonia ("Full Life") had higher grades than those with low eudaimonia. Eudaimonia was associated with lower depression and stress, while hedonia had intermediate values, compared to the "Empty Life" group.

Resilience

It is possible that eudaimonia and hedonia contribute to resilience, helping individuals be corageuous, and adapt as they face challenges.

A 2015 study involving older people receiving long-term community care explored the source of their strength, resilience and coping abilities and found that the Carpe Diem attitude was part of their repertoire: "Carpe diem. Almost all respondents said it was difficult for them to describe their (long-term) future, because as one of them said: ‘I want to live one day at a time’. Their increased functional limitations sometimes forced them to focus on life her and now. In spite of this, the respondents were able to enjoy their lives in the face of serious illnesses. Their enjoyment and carpe diem-philosophy were mostly situated in brief moments of happiness like going away for a weekend, enjoying the visits of (grand)children or listening to music." (15)

Less Worrying

A study by LaFreniere and Newman (2024) found that among students with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, savoring therapy builds a more positive mindset, with lower anxiety, less worrying about the future, positive expectations, fewer "kill-joy" thoughts and reduced chronic worrying.(16)

Gratitude, Life Satisfaction, and Time Perspective

Przepiorka, A., Sobol-Kwapinska, M., (2021)(10) explored how people live the present (their "Time Perspective" or TP) and their life satisfaction in an attempt to understand how Carpe Diem, Hedonism, and Eudaimonics relate to TP.

They found that Carpe Diem, where one focuses on the here and now, and on the present time, even if the present is not pleasant, is associated with "positive functioning." The study ratified that Carpe Diem is linked with positive affect, defining and pursuing life goals. There are positive links between Carpe Diem, the meaning in life, and a positive feeling about one's life and time.

Interestingly, for Carpe Diem, life satisfaction is not explained by gratitude. The focus on here and now is independent of whether the present moment is nice or ugly. Time is valuable and unique, but it does not necessarily involve gratitude.

The eudaimonic approach, which based on living a fully satisfying life, and being part of life's flow in a mindfull way by experiencing the here and now also leads to feeling joy, gratitude, and peace.

The time perspective for hedonists is to focus on the pleasures of the present. This search for novelty and sensations also generates gratitude for the good things received each day. It also produces a positive affect.

Closing Comments

By focusing the present, Carpe Diem increases the joy in daily life, and gives a greater sense of purpose. It reduces regret because in encourages taking action now and pusue ones dreams, before the moment has slipped by. This enhances creativity, motivation, and productivity.

By living the present and letting go of the past it heals negative experiences and lowers anxiety and worrying.

Living the moment fosters sharing it, and connecting in meaningful ways with friends, family, and parnters.

It balances planning for the future with enjoying the present, it is linked to a mindful appreciation of the present moment, that small actions matter. Joy can be found every day, in small things, and moments. It is not the recklesness of YOLO, but the balanced feeling of joy in the here and now.