How Not To Confuse Pleasure and Happiness
In this great post ‘The pleasure/happiness gap‘ Seth Godin reminds us that those are very different. And they are also distinct from the physiological point of view: “Pleasure is short-term, addictive and selfish. It’s taken, not given. It works on dopamine. Happiness is long-term, additive and generous. It’s giving, not taking. It works on serotonin.”
“Pleasure and happiness feel like they are substitutes for each other, different ways of getting the same thing. But they’re not.” Actually they are quite the opposite of one-another.
What people sell to us, what society tries to impose on us is pleasure.
Happiness develops internally and is a voluntary construct. It takes time and personal effort, and it is so much worth it.
It is good to be reminded from time to time how those two can be so opposite.
