Integrated Explanations of Well‐Being

According to three plausible assumptions about well‐being, a person's welfare depends on (i) the valence of her experiences, (ii) the degree to which her life resonates with her, and (iii) the extent to which she fulfills her potential. Theories of well‐being have struggled to accommodate all three in a determinate manner. The difficulty can be framed as a dilemma: either jettison considered convictions, or sacrifice the clarity required for measurement and practical guidance. The aim of this article is to show that the three most influential theories are impaled by one of the horns in the dilemma, and diagnose the source of the problem. In doing so, I draw attention to an under‐theorized form of explanation that integrates phenomenological, conative and functional elements in a unified account that might overcome it.