September 6, 2024: Pleasure vs Happiness
"If you can't have happiness and prosperity together, choose happiness"
- Detroit Flanagan
In my experience, Happiness and Pleasure are not the same thing. There are things that can bring us pleasure, but afterwards we are not happy for having had the experience. ie. Those three additional pieces of chocolate, or that illegal substance taken last night. The endorphin release brought its pleasurable moments, but later we probably were not happy about what we had done. Happiness, on the other hand, has an intriguing aura that lingers long after the event or person that brought us happiness is no longer present. ie. Sharing an amber-filled sunset with someone you love, or achieving a long sought personal goal. The endorphins are again released, but the joy of those special moments can bring us happiness for days, weeks or even years after we experienced them. Pleasure was undoubtedly, also present during these latter examples. That pleasure, in combination with the wholesome happy experiences results in joy that lingers and refreshes us long after we have experienced them.
I guess in sum, it's the difference between joyous pleasures and guilty pleasures. Joyous pleasures can last a lifetime while the other pleasures, but for a moment. Pleasures that last for a lifetime and bring no guilt afterwards are the ones for us to seek to attain. Pleasure is pleasure, but all pleasures are not the same. Now you know.
© 2024 Detroit Flanagan
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