Try not to confuse Happiness with pleasure and certainly do not confuse sadness with unhappiness.

http://wanderingdude.tumblr.com/

saw this quote on member Michaels blog.

It realLy resonated with me.

How and why are pleasure and happiness NOT the same?

Thanks (sorry typing from phone)

asked 14 Dec '10, 06:18

Back2Basics's gravatar image

Back2Basics
7.6k937152

edited 14 Dec '10, 09:25

Barry%20Allen's gravatar image

Barry Allen ♦♦
11411

Like the Bruce Lee quote

(14 Dec '10, 10:56) Monty Riviera

Happiness is a state of being. Pleasure is what we derive from people, things or activities.

Pleasure is dependant on an outside source,happiness is always available within when we choose to access it.

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answered 14 Dec '10, 12:26

Michaela's gravatar image

Michaela
35.0k22677

Michaela, All experiences are a result of a state of being. So what really is the difference? I don' get your point. To me there really is no difference as both words convey the same thought.

(14 Dec '10, 20:53) Drham

@Drham - Happiness is not a 'result of' but IS a state of being. I can derive pleasure from a piece of chocolate but I can't derive happiness from it, true happiness can only be found within and is not dependant on anything or anyone :)

(15 Dec '10, 03:27) Michaela

Pleasure and happiness are intimately connected although very different. Happiness is the state of well-being and contentment, otherwise known as joy. Pleasure is the source of delight or joy. Everyone could be feeling happy all having a different source providing that happiness.

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answered 14 Dec '10, 10:13

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Brian
8.5k22099

Pleasure and happiness may be different or they may be the same depending on definition - but does it really matter?.

What is more important is the ILLUSORY distinction between happiness and unhapiness, joy and sadness.

The Law of Polarity states that "everything is dual, everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree". In other words, things that appear to be opposites are in fact two extremes of the same thing. For instance heat and cold are varying degrees of that which we call temperature. Although they appear to be opposites, you cannot tell where heat starts or cold ends without using the other as its yardstick.

The same goes for all emotions. Happiness and sadness are varying degrees of the same thing, as are love (adoration) and hate, confidence and insecurity, calm and irritation, courage and cowardice, good and bad, positive and negative. Pick any emotion and you will find that what you may have up until now believed to be its opposite and hence separate to it, is in fact the same emotion with a different face.

When you choose to experience any emotion, know that you are also choosing the potential to experience what appears to be its opposite. This means, that if you want to be happy, you are by default also choosing the possibility of being sad. It cannot be any other way, since they are the same thing - they are inseparable. Likewise, you cannot eliminate all sadness from your life without getting rid of all happiness as well.

If you want more detail, ready the full article here:

The Truth About Emotions - Relax, You Ain't Gonna Feel Happy All the Time

sincerely, Tania Kotsos

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answered 15 Dec '10, 10:11

Tania%20K's gravatar image

Tania K
26626

thanks, nice site...............

(15 Dec '10, 17:18) Back2Basics

thank you... look forward to exchanging ideas on here.

(15 Dec '10, 18:46) Tania K

Well, I certainly did not know a silly blog entry would make it as a question to ponder here.

Thank You.

Anyway it came about when I heard that an old friend had passed away. I realized that my MIND was in a state of sadness for the people who loved him. My core being mostly stays in the state of Happiness and that is when I realized I was in a temporary bit of sadness for his friends and family but my true nature was still one of content. I am mostly good with all that is in this universe. I wondered how this can be? then I realized there must be a difference and the words I chose were the only way I could describe it.

I also realized that these states might be of 'My Soul" and "my mind" Happiness/Unhappiness =soul and sadness/pleasure= mind.

Of course I was led to ponder the opposite (about pleasure and Happiness) which brought me to when I was much younger and liked to party all the time. Trust me I felt great pleasure in the activities that I partook in but at my core I was truly miserable.

My conclusion was (for me of course:)) that sadness and pleasure are fleeting states of the mind and happiness and unhappiness deal with your soul.

My pleasure to meet you, so sad to see you go,

Happy Love

Michael

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answered 15 Dec '10, 14:07

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jim 10
(suspended)

edited 15 Dec '10, 14:35

Very good observations you have come across on your own. I have never thought of them this way and also wondered how some of my friends that were partaking in so many pleasures still didn't seem happy, now I see! (Also, very interesting how your friend who passed was able to trickle down into the enrichment we are getting from this question!)

(15 Dec '10, 17:22) Back2Basics
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