The pursuit of happiness?

According to the Ancient Greeks, one’s purpose in life should not be the pursuit of happiness.

If, however, one was to make the mistake of chasing this fleeting state of being, an Awasi hotel could be a good place in which to err…

Eudaimonia

The Ancient Greeks believed that eudaimonia, which might be translated as fulfilment, was the highest human achievement.

Eudaimonia is not a state but an activity.

An activity that can be learnt and practised, rather than a temporary patch of sunlight in which to step.

Exploring the area around Iguazu with your Awasi private guide. The open road can feed the imagination.

The Awasi philosophy

Fortunately for the reformed pleasure-seeker, Awasi’s philosophy aligns closely with the practices that make up eudaimonia.

The virtues that constitute eudaimonia are not innate talents or quickly acquired forms of knowledge, but abiding traits.

Such traits arise through slowing down, taking time to reflect, and immersion in social experiences.

Guests at all three Awasi lodges are encouraged to take time for contemplation

A hotel’s characteristic function

Aristotle said that each being has its characteristic function, for example, a knife’s function is to cut, an eye’s purpose is to see.

Man’s characteristic function is to reason.

What, therefore, is the characteristic function of a hotel? A hotel is a resting place for travellers; its characteristic function is to host.

Awasi is a resting place for those weary from travelling not only the physical road but the spiritual path in search of fulfilment.

Decking overlooking the River Iguazu at Awasi Iguazu

A quiet spot at Awasi overlooking the River Iguazu

Practice makes perfect

So, if we question how to achieve eudaimonia, as in most good stories, the answer is closer to home than you might imagine: the key to fulfilment is practice.

Certain material circumstances enable one to cultivate higher levels of practice; it is easier to intensely involve oneself in activities when you have no other tasks but that activity.

Staying at Awasi strips away the flotsam and jetsam of domestic worries leaving the guest with only one option: to involve oneself in activities.

The otherworldly landscapes of Atacama open the mind and soul

Awasi hotels: an exercise in Eudaimonia

Some could say that Awasi provides the circumstances in which to ease the beginning of the practice of eudaimonia.

As our guests continue their onward travels, both physically and spiritually, they may find themselves drawn towards the activity of finding fulfilment.

Note: the practice of eudaimonia is not a state you aim for, but something you work towards. It is not a destination but a journey, something which can be applied to travel and to life itself.