Wellism is a philosophy of life, an ethical framework, an ideology, and a global social movement which are centered around the concept of wellbeing in all its forms.
Worldview
As a worldview (or life stance), Wellism claims:
The central value and organizing principle of people and societies should be wellbeing.
This stands in contrast to other prevailing ideologies whose main focus is struggle between groups, or state power, religious dogma, economic growth, or even the difficult-to-ground concept of human rights. Wellism is like a mental and cultural “operating system”, a guiding framework of principles about what matters most and how to manage ourselves and our societies accordingly.
Ethical Framework
An ethical system answers the questions “What is right?”, “What is good?”, and “What is just?”. As an ethical framework, Wellism does not answer these questions based on abstract duties, divine commandments, or only utilitarian calculations. Instead, the Wellism ethical guidance is rooted in a commitment to holistic wellbeing—personal, collective, and planetary. It provides a coherent set of principles to guide human behavior — what we should do, what we ought to value, and how we should treat one another — in order to enhance wellbeing rather than detract from it.
Social Movement
Wellism is also a social movement as it drives people to come together to advance a shared purpose: transforming our daily lives, our culture, and our societal systems around the values of wellbeing. Wellism encourages people to create communities of wellbeing-centered living, launch initiatives that enhance wellbeing, and share new narratives that inspire people to reimagine the good life we can co-create. It advocate for systemic change—from healthcare to economic policy to urban design—that supports human and ecological thriving.
Collaborative Process
Wellism is not a top-down campaign with a central leader or a rigid doctrine. It is the product of many minds and hearts. It is an open-source movement—a shared pattern of values and intentions, continuously evolving, open to contributions from anyone who shares its core values. It grows through personal journeys, projects, and communities, all orbiting a central principle: wellbeing in all its forms is the measure of a good life and a good society.
Main Themes
- Wellness
- Wellbeing
- Ideals of Wellism
- Positive Qualities
- Personal Sovereignty
- Compassionate Communication and respectful discussion
- Thinking: rational thinking, critical thinking, and independent thinking
- Self development
Sources of Inspiration
The Wellism philosophy draws from various sources. These include:
- Wellness
- Positive Psychology and Mindfulness
- Compassionate Communication
- Various philosophies that focus on the good life and the human condition, such as Stoicism, Eudaimonism, Epicureanism, and Existentialism
- Philosophy of Ethics and Morality
- Various spiritual traditions that focus on the importance of wellbeing and harmony, such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Ubuntu.
- Various political philosophies that focus on concepts such as human rights and liberty (e.g. Liberalism and Humanism).
- And more…
Sections
To be continued
Thought Questions
- Do you have your own philosophy of life?
- What is your belief system about what is good and bad, right and wrong, just and unjust?
- What are your important values?
- How did you come to embrace these ideas?
- How did they evolve over time?