What is happiness?
It’s a cliche topic to talk about. Once in our life we have heard the very iconic “money doesn’t buy you happiness” or something like that, or along those lines. We hear the cheesy, “happiness is something you find on the inside!”
However, genuinely, what is happiness?
I have been reading Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s columns over the summer. She doesn’t explicitly state her political side, as she is more focused on nationwide family issues, and issues women go through (however, she is not specifically talking about women’s rights. An example is that she talks about single moms and how the media affects them.) Dr. Laura is extremely passionate about the topics she talks about and is always trying to help others and spread awareness.
One of the readings I looked at was about happiness. Dr. Laura makes excellent points talking about the difference between happiness and pleasure in a different way that I never really thought of. She addresses how pleasure is like winning the lottery, and while it’s not bad it’s not actual happiness; and true happiness can delve deeper than just “true happiness is being with family.” She make’s excellent points about how children are an easy way to explain the difference between pleasure and true happiness. She says in one of her writings “I spoke of pleasure as someone winning the lottery and screaming with delight because of all the things the money will buy. You may be excited and relieved that you have a lot of dough, but it won’t buy happiness. I said that real happiness shows up not in a squeal of delight, but as a lump in your throat — that “supremely proud of your kid” happiness, or the contentment that swells in your heart when your kid says, “Love you, Mom, love you, Dad,” out of the clear blue in front of his buddies. It chokes you up. That’s real happiness.”
Do you think there is a difference between pleasure and happiness? What to you, is true happiness? Would you rather happiness or pleasure?
I do believe that there is a line that separates happiness and pleasure, although that line isn’t very clear they both make someone feel two different ways. To me true happiness is when I can feel accomplished about something that I have done, or someone I have made proud, in my eyes true happiness is when I come off the field after a long game and have my family there all smiling and happy because I know I did my best. I would take this feeling over the feeling of pleasure any day because to me pleasure is something you are gifted like money where happiness is something you work for that may not come easy but eventually does appear.
I personally believe that there is a difference between pleasure and happiness, despite their extremely similar meanings. I think of pleasure more as a feeling that occurs at one moment, and as an emotion that is not as long-lasting as happiness. While I am not implying that happiness lasts forever, to me, true happiness is something that lasts for more than a brief period. And while it may not appear as consistently as pleasure, it is more fulfilling than its parallel. I would much rather take happiness as it is a feeling that will span for a prolonged duration and will not leave as fast.
I think there is a slight difference between happiness and pleasure. Happiness, in Schlessinger’s perspective, is more long-term, while pleasure is something you just feel in the moment. To me, true happiness would mean a sense of satisfaction that lasts multiple days or weeks and isn’t easily disrupted. Pleasure, however, could be momentary and even only last a few seconds, like, for example, seeing a video you think is funny. I think happiness is the opposite of depression, while pleasure can be experienced even during one’s worst depressive episode. Knowing this, I would rather experience happiness since I would feel more confident in my emotion and that it could potentially be fulfilling for a long time.
I think there is a difference between pleasure and happiness. To me, pleasure is something that brings you a moment of joy while true happiness is long term. To me, true happiness would be me getting my dream job, getting married, and having a family of my own, I think that would fulfill me and make me proud thus giving me true happiness. I would rather happiness over pleasure, if I have to be unhappy until I get the future I want for myself to be truly happy, then I think it’s worth it to be have true happiness forever someday.
I do believe there is a difference between the meaning of pleasure and happiness. I think that the difference is hard to understand but is definitely there. To me, pleasure is an instant feeling of joy that doesn’t necessarily mean true happiness. Also, pleasure doesn’t always last for long periods of time. While happiness is feeling happy for a longer period of time and takes more time to grow into true happiness. I would rather have happiness over pleasure, this is because I could feel happy for a longer amount of time and know it wouldn’t just disappear.
Yes, there is a distinction between pleasure and happiness, although the two concepts are often interconnected and can be somewhat subjective. Pleasure is generally a short-term feeling of enjoyment that arises from fulfilling desires or experiencing something positive. Examples of this would be something like eating or the feeling of a drop on a roller coaster. Happiness, on the other hand, is a more enduring and complex emotional state. It’s a deeper sense of well-being and contentment that goes beyond momentary pleasures. True happiness, in my opinion, involves a broader perspective on life and a sense of satisfaction with one’s overall circumstances, relationships, and personal growth. Overall, I think that pleasure can contribute to happiness and the two are often interconnected. To me though, I think that people often mistake pleasure for happiness, and seek short-term good feelings rather than an overall sense of contentment. True happiness is ultimately what we should strive for.
Yes, there is a distinction between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure often refers to immediate enjoyment, usually short-lived and focused on individual experiences. Happiness, on the other hand, is a more intense and enduring emotional state that has a sense of longevity and overall well-being. Pleasure to me seems to be more of a momentary enjoyment, and the pursuit of genuine happiness leads to a more fulfilling and meaningful life. Given the choice, I would rather true happiness over pleasure, as it offers a more lasting and profound sense of well-being.
There is a very distinct line between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is more of a “dose” of happiness and is only temporary while happiness can be pursued and is also more personal towards your beliefs and feelings. Pleasure can also cause you to live a life of less happiness overall. Too much pleasure can also lead to addiction which again gives less happiness in the long run. Also happiness can be different from person to person, and while they say money can’t buy you happiness, I’m sure it could make plenty of people happy.
Between pleasure and happiness, there is a clear distinction. While happiness may be pursued and is also more individualized with regard to your thoughts and feelings, pleasure is more like a burst of happiness that lasts just a short time. You could live a less happy life overall as a result of pleasure, as many things known to cause pleasure are also known to have great downsides. In addition to decreasing enjoyment over time, excessive pleasure can also result in addiction. Additionally, happiness varies from person to person. So I would much prefer happiness to pleasure, even if only for the fact that it lasts longer.
Yes, I do believe there is a distinct difference between the feeling of pleasure and the feeling of happiness. Even though they are very closely related by definition, the true meaning of them is very different. To me, when I think of happiness, I am thinking about long term achievements I have done in my life and the quality time that has been spent with my friends and family over the years. However, when I think about pleasure, I am thinking about short lived moments in my life like having a good hair/outfit day or doing good on a random school assignment. No matter what, I will always choose to be happy instead of being pleased.
There is definitely a difference I the two. I belive that pleasure is more short term joy such as seeing a funny video online while.happiness is something that sticks with you like a good memory from a day put. I think that true happiness is diffrent to every person but to me its making good memories with the people you care about. I would definitely rather have happiness as it will last much longer than pleasure and make me feel good for longer.
I believe that there is a clear distinction between happiness and pleasure. Pleasure to me is a short moment of satisfaction or a good feeling and too much pleasure can cause addiction which decreases your happiness. On the other hand, happiness is a long-lasting feeling of joy achieved when something positive happens in your life. To me true happiness is being with the ones I love and making long lasting memories with them. I would much rather feel happy than pleasure as it will last longer.
Pleasure and happiness have a divergence with each other so yes, I do think that there’s a difference between the two. Many believe that pleasure and happiness mean the same thing but if you think about it, those two feel entirely different. Schlessinger mentioned that having pleasure is like winning the lottery because you get the delight of spending money. So, I understand pleasure as a satisfaction where you have this content emotion but for a reason that can only be temporary. When it comes to happiness though, for me it is genuine emotion that makes you feel euphoric with no strings attached. This may be because I found something that made me laugh or I’m with people that make me feel joyful and during those moments, I just had a time where I’m happy. Knowing that those special moments make me feel happy with my true emotions, leaving with a lasting memory has let me decide that I would rather have happiness over pleasure.
I believe that there is a difference between pleasure and happiness. I think that pleasure is a small amount of happiness that is temporary. Happiness is something that takes time and lasts longer as it is an emotion we feel. I believe that the measure of true happiness is different for everybody. But when I am happy it is when I am with the people I love like my family and friends or when I play sports. The amount of positive memories that have come from the things that have provided me with happiness has lead me to believe that I would prefer happiness over pleasure since this is a long term feeling.
I do believe there is a difference between both pleasure and happiness. Happiness is an emotion that can last us a lifetime, one that can truly stick with you until your last breath. Pleasure is an emotion that is similar to happiness, but doesn’t offer the same effects. It doesn’t give that lifetime satisfaction and overall is just a rush of adrenaline. True happiness is of course different for everyone and I believe that true happiness to me is to enjoy every little thing that life can offer you. To really enjoy life to its fullest is the truest form of happiness I can see. I would take happiness over pleasure all day and everyday, pleasure doesn’t mean much to me as it doesn’t have a good impact as just being happy would.
Although similar, pleasure and happiness have 2 different meanings to myself. Pleasure is a quick feeling and happiness is a longer, more sustained feeling. Pleasure may occur from a single event, while happiness may occur from a string of events. To me, happiness is finding peace within yourself, and just enjoying life to the fullest. I would most definitely happiness because of the longer effect than pleasure.
Yes I think there difference between pleasure and happiness. The difference between the two in my own opinion is that one, pleasure is a short lived fulfillment that can be bought and is often confused with happiness. Although it’s received multiple times and doesn’t make a huge impact on a person. While true happiness becomes a long term feeling that can alter lives for the better. That type of effect and feeling can’t be bought or traded with any item in the world. So I’d rather have true happiness, with it I become more grateful for what I have with no complaint.