The Apple Store, #1, Barcelona, 2021
What’s Up With Today’s World, Anyway?
The current dominant socio-economic model in the world might be described as consumer-capitalism–whether a country is “democratic” (marginally, the USA) or “communist” (marginally, China) being very much beside the point.
So, given this system, is it any wonder many of us have come to confuse pleasure with happiness? Yes, those Madison Avenue types have done their job only too well (selling pleasure) so as to keep the gears of this economic model well greased…
And the consequences of this constant pursuit of pleasure? Think excessive emotional stress, PTSD, physical health issues, allergies, addictions of all kinds, divorce, road rage, years of therapy, suicide–let’s even include the massive environmental damage that goes on in order to feed that insatiable consumer machine… and so on, and on, you name it.
That leads me to one little piece of the puzzle that helps explain part of what might be happening… something we can each, individually, do a little something about.
Pleasure and Happiness: The Seven Key Differences
In this short video, Dr. Robert Lustig outlines the major differences between pleasure and happiness, and it goes a long way in explaining the current frenetic and frustrating world as we know it–and the millions of unhappy people who appear to “have everything.” I think he may be on to something.
Here is his comparison list:
- Pleasure is short-lived; happiness is long-lived.
- Pleasure is visceral; happiness is ethereal.
- Pleasure is taking; happiness is giving.
- Pleasure can be achieved with substances; happiness cannot be achieved with substances.
- Pleasure is experienced alone; happiness is experienced in social groups.
- The extremes of pleasure all lead to addiction, whether they be substances or behaviors. Yet there’s no such thing as being addicted to too much happiness.
- Finally and most importantly, pleasure is tied to dopamine (the pleasure biochemical/neurotransmitter), and happiness is tied to serotonin (the happiness biochemical/neurotransmitter).
And here, if you prefer, is the video with a bit more explanation:
Happiness, or “Contentedness”?
Personally, I have a bit of an issue with the term “happiness” in this context and I would prefer to say “contentedness.” The former implies being in a constant state of bliss (to my ear, anyway), which I don’t think is really possible for most sane homo sapiens–whereas the latter implies a general understanding and contentedness of one’s situation in life.
This is not to say that a “contented” person has given up and is not striving or seeking during their life journey… it’s just that a contented person will be accepting of whatever stage of life they might find themselves in and the striving and seeking will tend to be on the inside (spiritual) rather than on the outside (transitory achievements).
So, How About You?
Are you living life in pursuit of happiness/contentedness? Or are you still chasing after those fleeting hits and highs of pleasure (in between those painful troughs of disatisfaction)? How is it all working out for you? If you are a pleasure addict (sex, porn, drugs, alcohol, rock ‘n’ roll, gambling, shopping, food, sugar, internet, physical exercise, mobile phone, etc.), how might you wean yourself off of the pleasure binge bus and relax into Life As We Know It?
Might it be possible for all of us human beans, as a species, to hit the cultural “reset button” and ground ourselves more firmly in the pursuit of the constant, steady, warm, and long-enduring flame (contentedness) rather than the ephemeral and soul-scarring heat of the on-off blow torch (pleasure)? What might such a society look like? Sure, there is nothing wrong with a little pleasure now and then… but maybe the pendulum has swung way too far in the wrong direction–and has put a huge dent in the wall…
Blankets of Paper, Barcelona, 2021
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