good and evil in to kill a mockingbird essay

To Kill a Mockingbird

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To Kill a Mockingbird follows Scout , a precocious six-year-old, over the course of three years as she begins to grow, and in the process, bears witness to the trial of Tom Robinson , a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman. As a child, Scout has set ideas regarding what’s good and what’s evil, but throughout the novel, her father, Atticus , gradually begins to encourage her to see that the world isn’t divided into good people and bad people. Rather, he suggests to her that all people are composed of a mix of good and bad qualities, but regardless, everyone is deserving of being treated with dignity and respect.

At first, Scout and her brother, Jem , hold very black and white views of what’s good and what’s evil. They believe that most of the people in Maycomb are good, as is the law. But in their eyes, the Radley family down the street (and specifically the youngest adult son, Arthur Radley ) is evil—as is their elderly neighbor in the other direction, Mrs. Dubose . However, this ignores or contradicts over some of Scout’s more nuanced observations, such as the fact that Miss Stephanie , a good Maycomb lady by many standards, is a horrible gossip and nobody should believe what she says. Yet, Scout lumps Miss Stephanie in with Maycomb at large as a good part of her life. Meanwhile, there’s little real evidence that Arthur Radley, whom the children call Boo, is a bad person. In fact, there’s little evidence that he exists at all—Scout and Jem believe that Boo is evil because of childish neighborhood rumors that Boo survives on cats and squirrels and spends his evenings peeping into people’s windows. In other words, Scout’s world is clearly more complex than strict terms of good and evil, even if she doesn’t have the maturity to fully recognize this.

Through Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout has a number of opportunities to begin to question her initial assumptions about whether people are good or bad, and Atticus’s behavior impresses upon her that one of the best things a person can do is help another person maintain their dignity, which he does by defending Robinson. It’s confusing for Scout when she hears peers, extended family, and even adults in town—many of whom previously fell into her “good” category—take issue with Atticus’s defense of Robinson, defense that she understands that Robinson is entitled to under the law. Because of this, Scout has to grapple with the fact that people despise Atticus for doing his job, which begins to suggest that the people of Maycomb aren’t as overwhelmingly good as Scout initially thought. Indeed, many of them are extremely racist, and while they may treat their white neighbors kindly and with compassion, it’s unthinkable for many of them to extend that kind of generosity to their black neighbors or employees.

As Scout comes to understand that her town and neighborhood aren’t as good as she initially thought, she also has several opportunities to discover that seemingly evil villains in her life are actually not as villainous as she once believed. Though Mrs. Dubose is a foul woman who hurls insults, slurs, and other abuse at every member of the Finch family, including Jem and Scout, she also grows beautiful camellias of which she is very proud, a small quirk that humanizes her to the reader, if not to the children. Further, Atticus shares after her death that Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict who, in attempt to die free and with dignity, broke herself of her addiction in the weeks before her death. While this doesn’t substantially change how Jem and Scout view Mrs. Dubose, as they remain fixated on the awful way she treated them and Atticus, Atticus makes the point that every person, no matter how unsavory they may seem, has their own sense of dignity that his children—and for that matter, the reader—should make every effort to recognize and respect. Similarly, Arthur Radley makes a dramatic leap in Scout’s mind from a nefarious presence to the reason she’s alive when, a few months after Robinson’s trial, he kills Mr. Ewell (the man who accused Robinson of raping his daughter Mayella ) in defense of Scout and Jem, whom Mr. Ewell tries to murder on their way home from a Halloween pageant. While the particulars of events that night raise a number of questions about morality, as Arthur does murder Mr. Ewell, both the adults and Scout choose to focus on the fact that what Arthur did was something that saved the lives of Jem and Scout. It’s possible that he also saved the lives of Mr. Ewell’s abused children and preserved some sense of safety in the town by removing its most dangerous resident. This situates Arthur as one of the novel’s “ mockingbirds ,” in that he helps and even puts himself in danger for others despite the wider world’s cruelty toward him.

Possibly more importantly than the novel’s exploration of the nuances of adult characters, however, is its portrayal of Scout herself as a morally complex individual. While not maliciously racist, Scout still parrots racist slurs and beliefs that she hears others espouse, even in the midst of Robinson’s trial—at one point, she tries to comfort Dill , who’s upset by the prosecution’s racist treatment of Robinson, with the assertion that Robinson is “just a Negro,” and therefore it’s not worth getting too upset over his treatment, as it’s just the way things are. However, she does begin to question this and other thoughts and behaviors of her past, most notably when she begins to feel guilty for the way that she, Jem, and Dill surely tormented Arthur Radley for years. In this way, the novel proposes that everyone, no matter how seemingly good or seemingly bad, is nuanced and contains both good and evil—and most importantly, that through exposure, time, and maturity, it’s possible to become increasingly better. 

Good, Evil, and Human Dignity ThemeTracker

Good, Evil, and Human Dignity Quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird

“There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” “He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham—“ “Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!”

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—“

“—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

“There are just some kind of men who—who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.”

“If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?”

“For a number of reasons,” said Atticus. “The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.”

"Atticus, are we going to win it?"

“No, honey.”

“Then why—”

“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” Atticus said.

“Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.

“Your father's right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

“The one that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

Lula stopped, but she said, “You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?”

When I looked down the pathway again, Lula was gone. In her place was a solid mass of colored people.

One of them stepped from the crowd. It was Zeebo, the garbage collector. “Mister Jem,” he said, “we're mighty glad to have you all here. Don't pay no 'tention to Lula, she's contentious because Reverend Sykes threatened to church her. She's a troublemaker from way back, got fancy ideas an' haughty ways—we're mighty glad to have you all.”

Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was.

“If you had a clear conscience, why were you scared?”

“Like I says before, it weren't safe for any nigger to be in a—fix like that.”

“But you weren't in a fix—you testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?”

“No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now.”

“Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?”

“No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.”

“The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered— … It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that—it just makes me sick.”

“They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep.”

[Jem] was certainly never cruel to animals, but I had never known his charity to embrace the insect world.

“Why couldn't I mash him?” I asked.

“Because they don't bother you,” Jem answered in the darkness. He had turned out his reading light.

Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.

A boy trudged down the sidewalk dragging a fishing-pole behind him. A man stood waiting with his hands on his hips. Summertime, and his children played in the front yard with their friend, enacting a strange little drama of their own invention.

It was fall, and his children fought on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Dubose's [...] Fall, and his children trotted to and fro around the corner, the day's woes and triumphs on their faces. They stopped at an oak tree, delighted, puzzled, apprehensive.

Winter, and his children shivered at the front gate, silhouetted against a blazing house. Winter, and a man walked into the street, dropped his glasses, and shot a dog.

Summer, and he watched his children's heart break. Autumn again, and Boo's children needed him.

Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.

“When they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things…Atticus, he was real nice…” His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.

Good vs. Evil In To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that tells the story of Atticus Finch, a white lawyer in the deep south during the 1930s who defends a black man accused of rape. The novel explores the themes of racial prejudice, morality, and justice.

To Kill a Mockingbird is widely considered to be one of the greatest novels of all time. It has been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. The book was made into an Academy Award-winning film in 1962, and Harper Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.

The story of a boy named Atticus Finch, who defends an innocent black man from unjust conviction when he is accused of raping a white woman in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Set in 1936, the book centers on race and class prejudice after Atticus wins his case but before Watson arrives as his lawyer in exchange for defending Tom Robinson against false accusations that he committed a crime against nature.

Mr. Beale does not remember how many times he has been struck by lightning or if it was once written down; however, we do know that Atticus had asked him to write down everything about his life to protect him from any harm since there are so many bad things happening around him.’

They learn from their father, Atticus, that it is important to see people for who they are on the inside, and not to judge them based on their appearance. However, as they grow up and experience more of the world, they realize that there are bad people in society, and that the evilness of these people can have a negative impact on others. For example, the character of Bob

Ewell is an evil man who maltreats his family and eventually tries to kill Scout and Jem. The fact that he is able to get away with his crimes shows how evilness can go unpunished in society. This theme is important because it highlights how good and evil can coexist in the world, and how the actions of evil people can have a negative impact on innocent people.

Throughout the narrative, Jem and Scout grow up, learning how to not be influenced by others’ ill will. They learn from their father and through experience. As a result of this, Dill and they witness other people committing terrible deeds such as when Tom Robinson was unjustly convicted of raping Mayella Ewell because he was white.

However, they also see the goodness of people, such as when Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson to the best of his abilities even though he knows that he will probably lose. In the end, Jem and Scout learn that it is best to try and be good rather than evil. Harper Lee tries to teach this lesson through her novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

Both Jem and Tom Robinson are affected by the court case since they are unaware of the true evil of racism. Tom was unjustly imprisoned and subsequently murdered, thus resulting in a devastating loss of faith for law and humanity for Jem.

The Finch children also suffer from racist attacks. Their father, Atticus, is called names and spat at by people in town because he is defending a black man. The family receives death threats, and someone even tries to kill Jem. Despite all of this, the Finches continue to stand up for what they believe in, which is ultimately good.

Racism is an evil that plagues society. It is something that Harper Lee addresses in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Through the characters of Tom Robinson and Jem Finch, she shows how racism can destroy lives and cause innocent people to suffer. Racism is an issue that is still relevant today, and Lee’s novel serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of hate.

Because of his immaturity, Scout and Jem are held to account for their lack of knowledge, as well as the world through an adult perspective. Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout’s father, aids them in recognizing the badness in others while also acknowledging the potential for good.

Dill is the first to leave Maycomb because he finds life there unbearable, and it is Scout who remains behind at the end. After his Aunt Rachel tells him that Jem and Scout will not live much longer, Dill leaves town. Because she feels it is her duty to preserve her father’s reputation and Atticus’ name, she will stay with him.

“How to Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a novel about good and evil. The story is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s. The novel centers on the Finch family: Atticus Finch, a white lawyer; his daughter Scout; and his son Jem. The Finches are one of the few families in Maycomb who are not prejudiced against blacks.

The novel deals with the issue of racial injustice, which was prevalent in the American South at the time. Lee addresses this issue through the characters of Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson. Atticus is a white lawyer who defends Tom, a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus knows that Tom is innocent, he realizes that the jury will probably find him guilty because of their prejudices.

Tom is eventually convicted and killed while trying to escape from prison. His death leaves Atticus and his family devastated, but they continue to live their lives with dignity and grace.

“How to Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel about courage, strength, and hope in the face of evil. It is a story that teaches us to stand up for what is right, even when it is not popular. It is a novel that shows us the importance of compassion and understanding.

“Mockingbirds don’t do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, nest in corncribs, or do anything else but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a crime to kill a mockingbird, as Miss Maudie admonished Scout about mockingbirds. In this example, the mockingbirds are individuals who have the potential for good in their lives. They are extremely vulnerable to evil because they haven’t committed any crimes against society.”

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Essay topic: coexistence of good and evil.

I have to write 3 paragraphs with a topic sentence, 3 supporting details or examples, and a concluding sentence in each paragraph on the coexistence of good and evil in To Kill a Mockingbird

Good and Evil To Kill a Mockingbird is an exploration of human morality, and presents a constant conversation regarding the inherent goodness or evilness of people. Atticus, father of Scout and Jem, also plays the role of teacher, for his children and his town. Atticus believes that people usually contain aspects of both good and evil, but that good will usually prevail. Atticus teaches this to his children, but also to the town, as he works to defend Tom Robinson, an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. In the racist town of Maycomb in the heart of America's South during the Depression era, this is a Herculean task. Despite the challenge of overcoming the town's deeply ingrained racism and forcing people to change their social perspectives, Atticus struggles on, because he believes that one day, goodness will prevail over the evils of racism and racial equality will exist.

Throughout the book, Scout and Jem make the classic transition from innocence to maturity. Jem leads this change, as he is older than Scout, but both children experience it. At the beginning of the novel, they approach life innocently believing in the goodness of all people, thinking everyone understands and adheres to the same values they and their father do. During Tom Robinson's trial, the children are sorely disappointed when the jury, made up of their fellow townspeople, convicts the obviously innocent Tom Robinson simply because he is a black man and his accuser is white. The realization that there is true evil within their society shakes Jem to the core. He held a strong belief in the goodness of all people, but after the trial must reevaluate his understanding of human nature. The challenge of this struggle causes him great emotional pain as he tries to come to terms with disappointing realities of inequality, racism, and general unfairness. Scout also struggles to understand these things, but even following the trial is able to maintain her belief in the goodness of human nature. At the end of the novel, both children are faced with true evil, as Bob Ewell tries to kill them. True goodness, embodied in Boo Radley, saves them. In this final conflict between these opposing forces, goodness prevails.

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Essays on To Kill a Mockingbird

To kill a mockingbird essay topic examples.

You can analyze its themes in argumentative essays, compare and contrast characters or themes, describe the book's settings, persuade readers about certain points, or narrate personal experiences related to the novel's themes. These essay ideas allow you to dive into the world of "To Kill a Mockingbird" from various angles, making it easier to understand and engage with the story.

Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays require you to analyze and present arguments related to the novel. Here are some topic examples:

• 1. Analyze the portrayal of racial injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird and its relevance in today's society.
• 2. Argue whether Atticus Finch is an ideal role model for modern fathers.

Example Introduction Paragraph for an Argumentative Essay: Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird shines a spotlight on the persistent issue of racial injustice in the American South. This essay delves into the novel's portrayal of this injustice and its enduring relevance in the contemporary world, examining the lessons it offers for addressing social inequality.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for an Argumentative Essay: In conclusion, the analysis of racial injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird underscores the novel's power to inspire meaningful conversations about equity and justice. As we grapple with these issues today, we are reminded of the importance of empathy and compassion in fostering positive change.

Compare and Contrast Essays

Compare and contrast essays enable you to examine similarities and differences within the novel or between it and other literary works. Consider these topics:

• 1. Compare and contrast the characters of Scout and Jem Finch, exploring their individual growth and experiences.
• 2. Analyze the similarities and differences between the themes of racial injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Essay: Siblings often share profound bonds, yet their experiences can be remarkably distinct. This essay embarks on a journey to compare and contrast Scout and Jem Finch, the young siblings in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird , exploring the unique paths they navigate and the growth they experience throughout the novel.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Essay: In conclusion, the comparison and contrast of Scout and Jem Finch offer insights into the complexity of individual growth and sibling dynamics in To Kill a Mockingbird . As we consider their journeys, we are reminded of the transformative power of empathy and understanding in family relationships.

Descriptive Essays

Descriptive essays allow you to vividly depict settings, characters, or events within the novel. Here are some topic ideas:

• 1. Describe the atmospheric details of Maycomb, the fictional town in To Kill a Mockingbird , and its impact on the story.
• 2. Paint a detailed portrait of Boo Radley, focusing on his mysterious nature and significance in the narrative.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Descriptive Essay: Maycomb, the setting of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird , is not just a backdrop but a character in its own right. This essay embarks on a descriptive journey to capture the atmospheric details of Maycomb, immersing the reader in the town's unique ambiance and its profound influence on the story.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Descriptive Essay: In conclusion, the descriptive portrayal of Maycomb in To Kill a Mockingbird not only sets the stage but also evokes a sense of nostalgia and reflection. Through this exploration, we are reminded of the power of place in shaping our narratives and perceptions.

Persuasive Essays

Persuasive essays involve arguing a point of view related to the novel. Consider these persuasive topics:

• 1. Persuade your readers that Atticus Finch's defense of Tom Robinson is an act of moral courage.
• 2. Argue for or against the idea that To Kill a Mockingbird should be a mandatory part of high school curricula.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Persuasive Essay: Atticus Finch's unwavering defense of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird resonates as a symbol of moral courage. This persuasive essay asserts that Atticus's actions embody the essence of moral heroism, inviting readers to reflect on the qualities that define true bravery.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Persuasive Essay: In conclusion, the persuasive argument regarding Atticus Finch's moral courage underscores the enduring significance of his character in To Kill a Mockingbird . As we contemplate his actions, we are compelled to consider the qualities that inspire us to stand up for justice and equality.

Narrative Essays

Narrative essays offer you the opportunity to tell a story or share personal experiences related to the themes of the novel. Explore these narrative essay topics:

• 1. Narrate a personal experience where you encountered prejudice and discrimination similar to the themes in To Kill a Mockingbird .
• 2. Imagine yourself as a character in Maycomb and recount your interactions with the Finch family and Boo Radley.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Narrative Essay: Prejudice and discrimination are unfortunately common experiences in our world. This narrative essay delves into a personal encounter with these themes, drawing parallels to the themes explored in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird .

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Narrative Essay: In conclusion, the narrative of my personal encounter with prejudice and discrimination underscores the enduring relevance of the themes in To Kill a Mockingbird . As we reflect on the challenges of our own lives, we are encouraged to confront injustice and champion the values of empathy and equality.

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The Prejudice of Race, Gender and Social Class in The Novel "To Kill a Mockingbird"

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To Kill a Mockingbird: is Mayella Powerful

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July 11, 1960, Harper Lee

Novel; Thriller, Southern Gothic, Domestic Fiction, Legal Story, Bildungsroman

Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, Jem Finch, Dill Harris, Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandria, John Finch, Arthur Radley

It is partially based on Lee Harper's childhood, which is why the story is told by the child protagonist.

The loss of innocence, prejudice, racial challenges, honor, childhood, friendship, loss of innocence. The most powerful aspect is the very meaning behind "to kill a mockingbird", which means to destroy the innocence. It is made clear by Scout when he asks to "remember [that] it's a sin to kill a mockingbird". The flowers also symbolize patience and understanding, which are reflected by the white camellia flower.

To Kill a Mockingbird is not an easy book to read, yet it quickly became a symbol for the Civil Rights Movement all over the world. It teaches us about being brave, about injustice that must not be ignored, inequality around us, poverty, racism, corruption, anger control, innocence, oppression, hatred, and judging others. Reading this book reminds us of hope, patience, being equal to each other, and fighting for being brave and true.

The story starts when Tom Robinson, an African American male is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, the local lawyer called Atticus agrees to defend Tom even though he receives threats from the community. Even when things are quickly getting dangerous, Atticus refuses to leave his client. His young son Scout unwittingly helps to settle down the challenge.

The book has almost been called "Atticus" instead of the famous title that we know so well. Harper Lee was writing only one manuscript page per day even though she worked for about 12 hours a day. The character of Atticus Finch has been inspired by Lee's father who also worked as the lawyer and defended African American clients. The book has helped to create a cottage industry in the author's hometown, which has started with a museum. Lee Harper decided to choose her middle name instead of "Nelle", which she was afraid could be mispronounced. To Kill a Mockingbird became one of the most beloved books in the American literary history. The character of Dill has been based on author's childhood friend Truman Capote who has also used her personality's character in his "Other Voices, Other Rooms" novel that has been published in 1948.

"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." "Mockingbirds don't do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corn cribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." "It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

The main factor in To Kill a Mockingbird is teaching one's children and reminding each other about the dangers of prejudice and judging others. Providing an example of defending a black male in the American South shows that one must always keep the faith and seek the truth regardless of the conditions.

It is one of the most influential civil rights movement works in English literature and a symbolism of social challenge, culture, courage, defense of truth, and justice. It is also an essay topic where a person learns about prejudice and understanding that one has to be in another person's shoes to see and understand what it is like. Choosing this book as an essay topic, middle school, high school, and college students learn about justice, honor, and courage.

1. Macaluso, M. (2017). Teaching To kill a mockingbird today: Coming to terms with race, racism, and America's novel. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 61(3), 279-287. (https://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jaal.678) 2. Tanış, A., & Cengizhan, L. (2010). Analyzing the novel “to kill a Mockingbird” in literature class. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 4387-4391. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187704281000738X) 3. Al-Mamoory, S., & Witwit, M. A. (2021). Critical Discourse Analysis of Opression in''To Kill a Mockingbird''. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 9(02), 11-24. (http://journals.researchub.org/index.php/jsshr/article/view/1243) 4. Stiltner, M. A. (2002). Don't put your shoes on the bed: A moral analysis of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. East Tennessee State University.(https://www.proquest.com/openview/fa19ac9b0047942ce79bc14a55116582/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y) 5. Khokhar, M. I., & Mashori, G. M. (2018). Marxist Analysis of to Kill A Mockingbird According To Peter Barry. Journal of Grassroot, 52(2). (https://www.prdb.pk/article/marxist-analysis-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird-according-to-peter-2526) 6. Shackelford, D. (1996). The Female Voice in" To Kill a Mockingbird": Narrative Strategies in Film and Novel. The Mississippi Quarterly, 50(1), 101-113. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/26475781) 7. Sastrawijaya, M. D. (2021). The Character and Moral Values in “to Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. INFERENCE: Journal of English Language Teaching, 3(1), 81-87. (https://journal.lppmunindra.ac.id/index.php/inference/article/view/6070) 8. Winarni, B., Nugroho, A., & Fatimah, S. (2013). Affection And Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird Novel By Harper Lee (1960): A Psychoanalytic Approach (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta). (http://eprints.ums.ac.id/26577/)

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How to move from languishing to flourishing

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• Daniel Ackerman
• Meghna Chakrabarti

Languishing . That feeling of a lack of motivation or direction. Most people feel a sense of languishing at some point in their lives.

So how do we move from languishing to flourishing?

Today, On Point: Sociologist Corey Keyes has spent his career trying to find the answer.

Corey Keyes , professor emeritus of sociology at Emory University. Author of " Languishing: How to feel alive again in a world that wears us down ."

MEGHNA CHAKRABARTI: This is On Point . I'm Meghna Chakrabarti. In or about 1863, Emily Dickinson penned one of her most challenging poems. It begins:

"My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun – In Corners – till a Day The Owner passed – identified – And carried Me away – "

A loaded gun. It's such a powerful image. But of what? A life unfulfilled unless triggered by another? A soul trapped in a corner, as she says, useful for nothing in and of itself? Four more stanzas pass, and Dickinson ends the poem this way:

"Thought I than He – may longer Live He longer must – than I – For I have but the power to kill, Without – the power to die –"

It's a really ambiguous and confrontational poem. And I feel like it's blurred in something like a miasma of rage? Pointlessness? Rage against what, though? It seems like it's a really powerless sensation that Dickinson is talking about there. The speaker can kill, but has no power over herself — no power over her own life, even to die. She seems trapped, languishing, but in fury of darkness.

Now, I can't really claim to understand exactly what Emily Dickinson was trying to communicate there. She is a challenging poet. But Corey Keyes, I wonder, as you hear those stanzas, how do the words fall on your ears?

COREY KEYES: Well, it sounds to me like somebody who is really struggling with living a life that doesn't quite feel like it's their own. And I think we've all been there. I have myself, when I've looked in the mirror some days and looked at that person and not recognized them. And I'd become a person that I'd never thought I would become. And that's a place where I start to feel empty and lost. And where I feel a sense of no control.

So I suspect, at least my interpretation — that's a wonderful poem, I'm not familiar with it, Meghna — but she is getting at something to the effect of "I'm suddenly living a life or becoming a person that I no longer recognize, and yet I feel a kind of anger at what has become of me."

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah. Well Corey, we're so delighted to have you on the show today. Corey's author of a book called Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down. And he's also Professor Emeritus of sociology at Emory University.

And I guess I should call you professor Keyes here. I just jumped to being very familiar with you by saying Corey — forgive me for that. But you say you have experienced this languishing, if I just use the title of your book, in your own life, and actually, as you write about it, at quite a young age. Can you tell us that story?

KEYES: Yes. The book begins with a disclosure of my own. And the book is in part pieces of memoir of my struggles with various demons, if you will, one of which was languishing has guided my research in my life and my own search for flourishing. But we'll get to that.

It was, I was 16 years old and I was tuning in, on the FM radio, to a weekly concert called the King Biscuit Flower Hour. And suddenly, Jackson Browne appeared. He was the guest for that evening. And he had just recorded his live album, which is very famous, called Running on Empty, and he played that song.

And as I listened to the lyrics of Running on Empty, it simply spoke to me. For the first time I felt recognized. Because he was describing what life is like on the road, where you pack up and go to one town after another, you give yourself away and then you move on. And I think there is this sense of exhaustion and emptiness, like you're emptying your creativity and your soul on the road. And that's what I felt as a very young person at age 16.

And part of the reason for that, Meghna, was, as I describe, at 16, I was finally in a loving and safe home where — my grandparents had adopted myself and my sister and there they were in their retirement. And they took us out of a very violent situation. And once I was free of all that fear and violence, I suddenly was left with this hollow, empty feeling.

And I think that's what trauma and abuse and all the problems that many of us experience whether it's all the isms — sexism, homophobia, racism — that what that does to us. It takes away all the things that make life meaningful and good and leaves us empty. So that was where I started. And I must tell you, languishing is kind of a regular guest in my life, almost every afternoon it visits. But now I know why it's there. And I look at what's missing and what I need to take care of tomorrow. So yeah.

CHAKRABARTI: If I may, can you tell us a little bit more about your younger years? Because I'd like to see how what you experienced that led to this recurrent sensation or experience of languishing perhaps differs from, I don't know, the typical state of flux and uncertainty and unknowingness that many teenagers just have, right? Because that's a part of growth and life in those teen years. But when you said that you had quite a traumatic childhood, are you able to tell us a little bit more about that?

KEYES: Sure. I write about it somewhat in the book. And I didn't want to overwhelm the reader in particular. But there was an article that was done in the Guardian Observer magazine that got very specific. And I decided to tell the details of the story because I think a lot of us who — there are a lot of people with significant trauma in their lives, often that come in childhood. And I don't think we feel comfortable telling our stories to the world and our struggles and how it's informed our search for something good. And how it led to something that many might call it an accomplishment.

So yeah, there was regular daily abuse, very physical and very violent. And it was so overwhelming that the only way I could adapt as a child — and I saw this in my sister, too — was we shut down. And psychiatrists call it — you dissociate, you go inside. And you put up, I think of it as a turtle, sort of, where you create this really tough exterior. You pull in your legs and your head as if that's the last thing that you want them to take from you. And you put a lot of energy into sort of taking the abuse.

And what you do is you spend most of your days living in fear, waiting for the next bad thing to happen. And so it takes so much energy to survive in those kinds of environments that you don't realize that, until you're away from it, how exhausted and empty — it creates that empty hole in you.

And so if you were to — maybe your listeners are familiar with the Adverse Childhood Experiences study. And typically, the ACEs study measures and looks at the number of ACEs, and the highest level is four or more. And typically, adults who have had a childhood of adversity at levels four or more, typically have some pretty undesirable outcomes in adulthood. My ACE score was seven, just to put it into context.

CHAKRABARTI: Mm.

KEYES: So I don't know how my sister and I survived. But we're not the only survivors. People find a way to get through these things, but it takes a toll. And what it did for me was take the person that I was to become and replaced it with something that was a ghost. And I had to rebuild myself once I was adopted.

CHAKRABARTI: Mm-hmm. So this acute, very acute, hyper-aware survival mode as a child, which, as you very correctly put it, consumes all the energy of a human being, right? When you were in a safer place years later, as you described, the receding tide of the abuse left behind this sense of languishing that you shared, that sort of was made manifest when you were 16 or you realized it. So how would you define then more broadly from that experience when we're talking about languishing, what exactly are we talking about?

KEYES: Well, we can talk about it in two ways. In the way people sort of describe it, we'll call that sort of the existential version. And then we can talk about the way in which as a scientist, I came to measure and actually diagnose it.

But existentially what people — the words that people use to describe this condition is rather haunting to me. Some talk about it as a piercing void in their soul. It's interesting, a lot of people use , reference that it's a problem with their soul, which I take to be their spirit has gone missing. Another version that's very haunting to me — and I've felt this — it's as if you're alive, of course, but you feel like you're dying inside, like you're half alive. Or that you're stuck or stagnant, another very common description.

And of course, the canonical one is this sense of emptiness. And by that, if you probe people, what they're talking about is that they don't feel anything good or not much of it, but they don't feel anything bad or much negative.

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah.

KEYES: And I refer to Em Beihold's, you know, Numb Little Bug, the song, in the book. And it's that sense that you've become numb emotionally.

CHAKRABARTI: Professor Keyes, what I'd love to do is sort of touch down on recent history and explore with you why this sense of languishing seems to have really resurfaced broadly amongst people. And then also go back in time. Because I think the sensation of languishing has been called many different things over many centuries.

So let's start with the recent times — and you talk about this extensively. I believe there was a survey done somewhere, I don't remember where, but New York Times, maybe, about what were people feeling or sensing in themselves during the pandemic, and particularly, the lockdown period of the pandemic. And languishing was one of the most popular responses, if I remember correctly?

KEYES: Yes. And in fact, the New York Times article that the organizational psychologist Adam Grant wrote about his own experience with languishing was the most read article in 2021 — not just in the United States, globally. So that was, it was a remarkable moment. I never imagined that it would take a pandemic or that I would even experience a pandemic for that matter, but that it would take a pandemic to raise awareness of this what seems to be an invisible condition that's now out of the closet, if you will.

CHAKRABARTI: So he wrote about — but so what was it about the pandemic that made people feel like they were languishing?

KEYES: Well, I think what happened was that people who would not have normally been at risk for this condition, if you will — people who love their jobs, who are engaged at work, engaged with life, they're part of their community and so forth, they had a lot of good things going on — were suddenly put in a situation where all those things were taken from them.

CHAKRABARTI: Mm-hmm.

KEYES: And I think for many people, that was quite shocking because what it did to them, it put them in this place where they'd never felt before or have never gone. And as I said in other interviews, the pandemic was the great equalizer. People who were much more likely and had experienced languishing quite often were now joined with people who had never or rarely experienced it. And suddenly there was this uprising, if you will, or upswelling of people talking about it or wanting to know, well, what is this condition?

I found it interesting. A lot of people say, "Well, I know I'm not depressed. I'm not sad. I don't want to, you know, I've not lost all interest in life. But something is missing. Something has gone astray." And so I think the pandemic was the great equalizer. And it didn't matter what kind of country you were living in, what culture, it happened to everyone in one form or another.

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah. So you touched on something very important because I wanted to ask you how to differentiate between, you know, diagnosable clinical depression, which has a definition in the DSM, right, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. And that versus languishing.  Just to go over some of the terms here, like depression is diagnosed through a combination of symptoms over a period of several weeks.

If you're a caregiver or a medical professional and trying to diagnose it, right, there's that depressed mood, as you talked about, which can be marked by a lot of different things. I mean, sadness is one of them. There's also emptiness, hopelessness — which sounds a little bit like languishing. Loss of interest or pleasure in basically anything that defined you in life.

KEYES: Yeah.

CHAKRABARTI: There's insomnia, hypersomnia, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, decreased concentration, and, of course, suicidal ideation. So a combination of those things can lead to a diagnosis of depression. But you're saying clearly that languishing is different than that, because it's less of a void of happiness and more just a sense of emptiness without the chronic sadness or worthlessness?

KEYES: Well, here's where it gets a little tricky. Let's see if I can thread this needle. One difference between the two is that depression, the list of symptoms are all framed negatively, right? There's a loss of pleasure. There's the presence of sadness that's persistent. You're sleeping — your sleep patterns have changed such that you're sleeping too much, too little. Your eating habits have changed such as you're overeating, or you're not eating enough suddenly.

And languishing is the absence of a host of things that are framed in terms of questions positively. Like, does your life have a sense of purpose or direction? Are you being challenged to grow and become a better person? I'm just giving you some examples of these. Do you like most parts of your personality? Are you able to manage the daily responsibilities of your life? Do you feel happy, satisfied or interested in life? And isn't it interesting that there is one overlapping question that's about interest in life, or the loss of interest or pleasure.

KEYES: But languishing is the absence of positive qualities, if you will. It's not necessarily — just because you don't have a — let's just talk about it in a framework of a typical day. Many of us have had a day where nothing good has happened. But just because of nothing good has happened, it doesn't mean that everything was terrible or that you felt angry or sad.

And conversely, I mean, you could have, many of us have had days where nothing bad has happened. We didn't feel angry, sad or — but it doesn't mean that a whole bunch of really good things happened either. And so languishing, for many people, it can be the absence of these positive qualities, but it doesn't necessarily blur into the presence of all those negative qualities that define depression.

CHAKRABARTI: I see. You know, I'm looking at — because you had refocused my mind that it was Adam Grant, right, in the New York Times — and I just pulled up his 2021 article. And here's how he described it. It's exactly along the lines of what you're saying, professor Keyes. He calls languishing "the neglected middle child of mental health." And he calls it "the void between depression and flourishing. You don't have to have all the symptoms of mental illness, but you're not the picture of mental health either."

KEYES: Exactly.

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah, so it's really fascinating. And you know, actually, there are — I don't want to equate the two, obviously — but there are tiny echoes between what Grant describes may have afflicted people during the pandemic and what you told us about your own life history, professor Keyes. Because he talks about how, you know, in the first weeks or even months of the COVID lockdowns, people were very much in a sense of fight or flight, essentially. Because of what you said, that everyone's routines, the things that grounded us had been removed by virtue of being in the lockdowns. And that can put you in a sense of self protection, right?

KEYES: Yes.

CHAKRABARTI: And then he says, "But as that wore on, that heightened emotional awareness gave way to the dread of nothingness" because we weren't quickly returned to those things, the people that gave us meaning. Does that sound right?

KEYES: It sounds quite familiar to what I described in terms of my childhood, which was much more prolonged. But I think many people went through an intense and somewhat prolonged period of fear and uncertainty that created this hypervigilance that you talked about — and that I experienced myself — that required a kind of dedication of all your energy to try to understand and figure out what was going on.

And I think people were willing to go there and try to invest so much energy because they thought this might not persist. And we were getting messages, "Well, this, this is going to be temporary." And then suddenly as it wore on, I think we took our foot off the gas pedals. And as we slowed down, it was just like what I experienced when I was finally adopted. When I slowed down, suddenly it caught up with me: that emptiness, that feeling, that weariness, that exhaustion.

And so what's tricky about languishing is the following. And it's important to know that all my studies and the studies that have been done on languishing, we do measure clinical depression as well as anxiety and other disorders, mental disorders, so that we can make sure that we're truly separating those with clinical depression and those who are languishing without it. But here's why I said it's a little tricky. Because we found in our research — and others have done the research on this — that languishing, if you stay there too long, it is a gateway into mental disorders like depression and anxiety.

CHAKRABARTI: Yes.

KEYES: It's a risk factor. And languishing doesn't cease to exist suddenly when you slide into depression, it comes along with you. So you can be languishing on top of having depression. And here is what's amazing. Your degree or severity of languishing will add to the problems that you experience along with your depression. So, if you're languishing severely with depression, you are doing worse than somebody who is depressed but is languishing moderately or mildly. So your level of languishing is determining, to some degree, how problematic your depression is. And that's why some people with depression will suddenly start talking in ways that sound like languishing. And suddenly you think, "Well, depression is languishing." No, languishing happens along with a lot of mental disorders.

KEYES: We just don't recognize it that it's there because most clinicians haven't really sort of taken this line of work as seriously as I think they should. That's, you know, I don't want to poke the bear. I'm not anti-psychiatric. I have my own mental disorders. And I was so glad when finally, mental disorders like depression and anxiety came out of the closet and were taken far more serious.

CHAKRABARTI: Mm-hmm. You know, it suddenly occurs to me that it's not by accident that my mind keeps wandering to how poets and writers and artists have depicted this state of languishing over years, decades and centuries. And another one that popped up to me as I was doing some reading to prepare for our conversation today, professor Keyes, actually comes from Aldous Huxley. So fascinating. One of my favorite writers.

KEYES: Ooh, yeah.

CHAKRABARTI: Because he wrote an essay, obviously near the first half of the 20th century where he writes this: "Other epochs have witnessed disasters, have had to suffer disillusionment; but in no century have the disillusionments followed on one another’s heels with such unintermitted rapidity as in the twentieth, for the good reason that in no century has change been so rapid and so profound."

"The mal du siècle ," — that ennui that people often talk about — "was an inevitable evil; indeed, we can claim with a certain pride that we have a right to our" — And here's the word, I don't know if I'm going to pronounce it correctly — " accidie ."

" Accidie ." I think it's an ancient Greek word.

KEYES: Yes, it is.

CHAKRABARTI: And that's the title of his essay. Now this takes us way back. Because this sense of languishing has been called many things throughout history, and I think it dates back, I think the first time it was maybe identified — and correct me if I'm wrong — at least in religious literature, was as far back as the 5th or 4th centuries.

KEYES: Yes. In Christianity, and that literature is called the Desert Monks. And I've written, I've explored this, because before I go down any path, I want to look at history and see if it's been, if there's instances where what I'm thinking exists today has been with us. And I was I would say shocked when I learned that there used to be eight deadly sins. Now, some people might be aware of that. I was unaware of that as a young scholar. And I was like, "I'm only aware of seven deadly sins. Well, what is this eighth deadly sin?"

And it goes under the name of "acedia," or in the ancient Greek, "acedia." And some people have written about it as if it's depression. I think the author Andrew Solomon wrote a book on his depression and depression in general.

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah, The Noonday Demon.

KEYES: Noonday Demon. And he used acedia as an example of depression. But I would love to have a conversation with him. I would beg to differ. Because when I read the accounts of the Desert Monks writing about this state of acedia, they weren't talking about sadness. They were talking about a longing for something good that they've lost. What some have described as a "want of interest in life."

And it sounds a lot to me like a form of emptiness that would happen to them after they had gone through their morning rituals and had done a lot of work. And suddenly, they would take a break and they would experience this sense of emptiness that was quite haunting and was uncomfortable. It would lead them to do things that led them astray from their path, their religious path.  And isn't it interesting that same problem of seeking ways to distract yourself from this condition happens today?

KEYES: And I think it was considered sinful precisely because it led people to do things that led them away from their spiritual, religious path and devotion.

CHAKRABARTI: And we will get to your very rich suggestions on how to pull ourselves out of languishing or even avoid it as a state, professor. We'll get to that in a minute. But when I read your book, I was also incredibly fascinated that there were eight deadly sins at one time. Had no idea.

And it's interesting to me because, you know, what we're talking about, we're using the term languishing now. I had mentioned ennui as a previously popular term, but to me that one also sort of engenders visions of the idle rich who are just bored into meaningless by virtue of their wealth. But this experience as documented by the desert monks — and again, can you, is it acedia? Acedia? How do you say it?

KEYES: Acedia.

CHAKRABARTI: Acedia! Okay, good! Apologies to every speaker of ancient Greek out there, or even modern Greek, my apologies.

So what's interesting to me about the fact that these monks experienced acedia is because when I look at it, they would have had in their lives all of the things that one would think would be needed to battle against that feeling of emptiness, right? They had a close community. They had routine. They had a deep sense of meaning by virtue of their faiths and their study of theology.

CHAKRABARTI: These are all things that I, that in different ways in your book, you talk about that's what helps form a rich and flourishing life. And yet these monks experience this acedia themselves. Do you have — can you put yourself in the mind of a desert monk and maybe even just hypothesize as to why?

KEYES: Well, I think one possibility is that the lives of these desert monks were quite isolated for most of the time. They were by design, as a way to reach God, was that you had to sacrifice and in isolation work on your spiritual formation. So you described a community. To my extent of understanding of their lives, there was a disconnection with most other human beings in order to connect more purely with God and the religious formation. So that they could carry that message back into the world and others. And so I thought what they were doing was rather unnatural to human nature. It's asceticism, it's sacrifice, and it's disconnection with ordinary human beings as a way to form oneself spiritually.

KEYES: Now, I think some people would say that that's the right way to go. I myself tend to prefer the way most Buddhists practice their form of formation, which is in what they call the sangha, a community of like minded people where on a regular basis — you may spend a lot of time meditating alone, but there's a lot of communal activity and sharing and supporting of each other. So to my extent of understanding the early Christian desert monks, there was a sort of unnaturalness to the social nature of being human that I think caught up with them.

CHAKRABARTI: So this gets me to my question about whether or not experiencing languishing at any point in life is actually, it is a normal experience for human beings. Because, you know, ideally, we're in good states of mental health for our entire lives, but that's not how the human mind, soul, works, right? We sort of fluctuate between different states of being. Can't languishing be seen as one of those temporary, less-than-optimal mental states? I'm gonna suggest here that perhaps — is it an opportunity to reassess what gives a person's life meaning, if they feel the absence of it?

KEYES: Yes. I think you've touched on the most important part of it. It is, to me, a very normal state of being that is — think of it as an opportunity or a wake up call for you that says, "Something good and necessary for my life has gone missing." And that's why I described acedia in the desert monks — what I saw in their writings was a longing for something good that was lost. And a kind of hunger that you could — that's an interesting word that people often use when they're languishing, "I'm hungry for something more."

And that's something more is often to return to some of those conditions that I describe in the concept of flourishing or good mental health: to have a life where it has direction and meaning, to have a life where you feel accepting of other people and accepting of yourself, and a variety of other good things.

And so to me, it's a wake up call. But I think what happens is that — and I don't think this is endemic to just modern life — when we feel these moments of emptiness, we don't take or have enough time to sit with them, such that we answer its call, which is to say, "I think you need to change what you're doing right now."

CHAKRABARTI: It's Jackson Browne all over again, right? You're running on empty, but you're running.

KEYES: Running on. You keep running on. Exactly! He had to get to the next town, right?

KEYES: There's no stopping. And that's typical of what gets in the way. And suddenly, Meghna, what was a normal response persists too long. And that's where it turns from normal to dysfunctional, in the same way that sadness and fear are normal emotional reactions that if they persist too long and at a level that's too intense, become mental disorders called depression or anxiety.

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah. Do you mind if I just offer a slight story of my own recent experience with this?

KEYES: Oh, I would love if you did!

CHAKRABARTI: Well, because, I mean, I'm not going to say that I suffered from a pathological experience of languishing. But, you know, we are living in a world where I can imagine millions and millions of people feel this. Because especially in America of 2024, there are so many pressures that keep people having to continue to just be in survival mode. You know, like having to just put food on the table, roof over your head, kids in school, health care, et cetera, those are things in and of themselves which are enough to make someone wonder, "What else is my life for?" But I'm going to put that aside for a second. I just want to acknowledge that.

So in my case, I have deep privilege working in the job that I do, right? And I consider myself lucky every single day. However, at the same time, the news business being what it is, every single day, you know, my mind's kind of marinated in all the ills and wrongs of the world. Right? That's what covering news can be a lot. And I noticed that it really, it just reshapes your brain after a time and you think, "Well, what could ever be solved?" Right? "What could ever be good if we're just moving from one terrible story to the next as human beings?"

So a couple of years ago, this was really starting to bother me. And I was like, "I need to think more positive thoughts about humanity." And so I just started volunteering in that local Lego robotics program for kids. (LAUGHS) And it was astonishing, professor. I'm gonna tell you, the feeling of joy, flourishing, excitement, and excitement for others that I get by watching these kids just solve little problems or try a hundred times to build something before they get it right and just being thrilled by it — that in and of itself totally transformed my life away from work.

And I wanted to just share that because at least in my case — and I think you hint at this in the book, we'll talk about your, your five vitamins in a second — but trying to sort of draw oneself slowly out of a state of languishing, it doesn't necessarily require, like, any huge revolution, right? There are things that we can readily do.

KEYES: Yes. And I think — and I've read some of the reviews, my editor said don't, don't go reading all the reviews — but I wanted to. Because I think I was intrigued by the reaction that people have to the part on the vitamins. What I'm asking people to do based on scientific evidence is to stop doing some of the things they're doing and start doing some of these new activities. And the response is typically like, "Well, my life is too complicated. You're not very aware of all the problems people experience. Their life is too busy." And I understand that. I do. But what's remarkable to me is that there comes a point in life where you have to say no. "I'm not willing to do what isn't sustaining my soul anymore."

And there are moments in my life, and I write about my own struggles with it. I had to say no to a professor of English after my freshman year who said, "Corey, you don't belong here." Because I almost flunked — my grade point average as a freshman, as I came to the end of that year, was 2.01. I was one one-hundredth of a point from being on academic probation. And I did not do well in English, no matter how many times I rewrote my essays. And so this professor took me aside and decided to tell me I don't belong.

And I said no. I didn't say no to him. I spent that summer saying, "Well, I'm going to prove him wrong. I think he's wrong. And I'm going to go back and change the way I go about this. And I'm going to have to do some hard work." And I did change. And I think my point in bringing all that up is that I couldn't wait for the world to change so that my life would become better. And especially as a trauma survivor, I learned very quickly that the world didn't give a damn about me and my needs. And so I was going to have to take care of those things.

And so my attitude has always been if we want something to change in our life, we have to begin in small ways and do things differently for ourselves and the people we love. And stop waiting for the healthcare system to catch up with us. Stop waiting for the political system to kind of — all those things do need to change, don't get me wrong. But I grew tired very early on in my life of waiting for the world to become a nicer, better place. And so I decided to go out and get what I needed.

KEYES: What I learned very quickly was that you can't just demand these good things. You have to give them in order to get them. That is what you just described, Meghna. In order to feel good and change the view of myself in the world, I had to go out and do something good. Not bad. Right?

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah. So can you tell me a little bit more — just briefly, because there's also a voice of one listener that I want to hear from, we have a little bit of tape from them — what are the things then? Just give me the headlines on the things that people can do, the vitamins.

KEYES: Well, what's remarkable is that it didn't matter whether you were depressed, languishing or flourishing — in order to stay flourishing or to move out of depression or languishing, people who did that did more of the five things. They started doing activities that had something to do with helping other people or something improving the world.

Second, they started engaging in learning something new, trying to challenge themselves and learn and grow — only for the sake of learning something, not because it was useful in their job or at school.

Third, they changed the way they socialize and connect with people. It wasn't just that we need relationships with others. We need relationships where there's warmth and trust, where we are needed or what we sociologists call "where we matter" and where we feel we belong. So we need to feel warmth, trust, belonging, and a sense of mattering. We don't need just any old relationships. We need the qualities that make them meaningful to us.

Fourth, people who flourished or moved towards it engaged in what I call transcendent rituals, spiritual or religious activities. And the last was they engaged in some form of play. They did things just because it was fun or what we would call active rather than passive leisure. By active I mean they went out and did things to have fun, rather than sit down and consume what they called leisure.

CHAKRABARTI: Get off your screens is what you're saying! (LAUGHS)

KEYES: Yeah, get off your screens. Get off your couches. You might call that leisure, but the leisure that helps your well-being is the stuff where you're not sitting down, where you're doing something.

CHAKRABARTI: Can I just jump in here, professor? Because we only have a minute left and I shouldn't have kept this for so long, until the end. There's a lot of different — you said there was criticism of your five vitamins, but we heard from a listener who's a 58-year-old man and he had a particular concern that he said it's harder for men to do some of the things that you suggested, form those close social connections.

He said men just don't seem to have a desire to open up and get real about things. But he understands that making those connections is key to having a flourishing life. I mean, as a fellow gentleman yourself, I'm wondering how you would respond to that?

KEYES: Oh, yes. I've just read some articles about that. Friendships among men as adults are some of the hardest things to find. And I suspect some of that is this gender socialization. It probably goes well beyond that. But when I'm talking about warmth and trust and belonging and mattering, it requires being vulnerable, admitting that you need somebody, that you feel weak, that you're emotional. So I think we could do a lot to help men along this path.

CHAKRABARTI: Yeah. Well, professor, I'm so sorry to have to interrupt you, but we have just 10 seconds left and I want to mention the name of the book again. It's called Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down. Professor Corey Keyes, thank you so much for joining us.

KEYES: Well, thank you for having me.

This program aired on April 22, 2024.

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Daniel Ackerman Producer Daniel Ackerman is a producer primarily working across WBUR's national shows.

Meghna Chakrabarti Host, On Point Meghna Chakrabarti is the host of On Point.

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