Introduction
In our day today
life it is quite easy to get confused between the terms pleasure and happiness as they both feel very similar.
Although they feel similar, there are a good amount of differences between
pleasure and happiness. Let us put in this simple way - If people sit down to a
delicious meal at their favourite restaurant, are they feeling happiness or
pleasure? What if you unwrap a gift during the holidays and find it’s
exactly what you wanted? Pleasure or happiness? Before getting
confused further let us try to distinguish between happiness and pleasure.
- Is happiness important? (Yes)
- Is happiness a universal human feeling? (Yes)
- Do other animals experience happiness? (Yes)
- Is there a scientific basis for happiness? (Yes)
If you substitute
the word “pleasure” for “happiness” above, the same answers
apply. Now we must ask:
- Are happiness and pleasure the same thing? (No)
- Do people sometimes equate pleasure with
happiness? (Yes)
- Is there scientific evidence that differentiates the
two? (Yes)
Feeling of Pleasure
The very nature of
human beings is to seek pleasure which makes one happy and that can give
enjoyment. Pleasure is an emotional state, in which you feel good and enjoy what
you are doing. In most cases pleasure (hedonic happiness) is a feeling of enjoyment due to external stimuli. For
instance
·
We experience a sensation of pleasure when we eat a delicious slice of
cake.
·
We get pleasure when we listen to pleasant music.
·
We experience pleasure when we do something we love doing.
·
We also derive pleasure from reading a book and from daydreaming.
·
We get pleasure from the smell and taste of good food, from a pleasant
breeze on a warm day, or from the sight of a beautiful person.
Pleasure is most often associated
with doing what feels good, self-care, fulfilling desires, experiencing
enjoyment, and feeling a sense of satisfaction. The
pleasure is mainly experienced by the body through the five senses organs-
eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin. Pleasure has to do with the
positive experiences of our senses, and with good things happening. This is because our
body is enjoying the positive experience through the senses. However, the pleasure we experience
is momentary and is always dependent
on external factors. Pleasurable experiences can give us
momentary feelings of happiness that does not last long because it is dependent
upon external events and experiences. As soon as the experience ends or else the
external factor is removed, you move back to the original state. To keep on
having the pleasurable experiences external stimuli--
more food, more drugs or alcohol, more money, more sex, more things –have to be
provided continuously. As a result, many people become addicted to these
external experiences, needing more and more to feel a short-lived feeling of
happiness.
True happiness (Eudemonia) on the other hand is a state of inner peace and inner calmness which is
characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfilment. It
is a state of emotion derived from seeking meaning, virtue and purpose in life.
True happiness comes from within. Happiness might be
triggered by events or external factors, but it does not depend on them. It is
a sensation of inner calmness and satisfaction. So it is not a reaction
to external stimuli. Happiness has many different definitions. However, it is
often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction. In
this context happiness is considered as a state of subjective wellbeing and contentment
where one experience balance of emotions and life satisfaction.
Though
perceptions of happiness may be different from one person to the next, there
are some key signs considered when measuring and assessing happiness.
Some
key signs of happiness include:
- Feeling like you are living
the life you wanted
- Feeling that the conditions
of your life are good
- Feeing that you have
accomplished (or will accomplish) what you want in life
- Feeling satisfied with your
life
- Feeling positive more than
negative
Happiness is not a
state of constant excitement. Instead happiness is an overall sense of
experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones. Even though they are in
the state of happiness they still feel the whole range of emotions like anger,
frustration, boredom, loneliness and even sadness from time to time. Even when they are faced with discomfort ,
they experience an underlying sense of optimism that the things will get better
which may help them to deal with what is happening.
The Science behind Happiness & Pleasure:
The science
behind happiness and pleasure, sourced in the fields of neuroscience,
medicine, and psychology. It draws heavily on research summarized in the
book The Hacking of the American Mind,
by Dr. Robert Lustig (2017).Studies in the fields of neuroscience, medicine,
and psychology have revealed that pleasure is produced when the
neurotransmitter, dopamine is released in the brain. On the other hand Happiness
is produced when the neurotransmitter, serotonin is released in the brain.
Dopamine is the
“feel good” neurotransmitter a motivating
hormone that is responsible for feelings of pleasure, desire, and motivation to
learn new things. That is why people continue to chase it. This is
also why, in psychology, it is called the “reward pathway” in the brain.
For instance, when you have sex, eat your favourite food, gamble, use any
sort of drug, open up a gift, or even gossip, dopamine is released in your
brain and pleasure is produced. Since the experience feels good, you go
after them again…and again…and again. It gets to a point that the thought
or anticipation of the experience can release dopamine. However, once the
experience ends, so does the feeling of pleasure, only leaving you wanting
more. Pleasure is short lived. It doesn’t last long and can ultimately
be unhealthy if it leads to addictive behaviours.
Serotonin is an important
neurotransmitter which helps regulate mood and social behaviour, appetite and
digestion, along with sleep and memory. When people feel happiness,
they are at an even keel for an extended period of time. Their mood is
level and they are feeling good about their life. You may feel happy with
life at home, at work, or where you are in life. For example, if you are
sitting around a table full of family and friends during the holidays, you may
pause, reflect, and experience happiness since you are surrounded by people you
love. This feeling will most likely last through dinner and for the
remainder of the night.
Both
serotonin and dopamine travel between neurons, but they have very different
effects on those neurons. Serotonin inhibits neurons essentially slowing them
down and producing a feeling of contentment or happiness. In contrast, dopamine
excites neurons and in response those neurons stop making themselves so readily
available and over time it becomes harder to get the feel good hit you’re
after. What’s more, dopamine down regulates serotonin, so by chasing pleasure
from those hits of dopamine you could be undermining your ability to feel
contented happiness.
The
feeling of pleasure is short lived whereas the feeling of happiness is long
lived. When pleasure is associated with physical sensations, happiness is
associated with inner peace, mental and emotional calmness. Though pleasure is
associated with taking, happiness is associated with giving. Creativity and
innovation are a result of sharing this happiness. Nature of pleasure in most
cases is self-centred whereas the nature of happiness is altruistic. In
this context we have to reorient ourselves to make a march from pleasure
seeking to happiness seeking which is a state of inner peace and
inner calmness.
Key differences between these
two states of being- Pleasure/ Happiness
- Pleasure is short-lived; happiness is long-lived.
- Pleasure is visceral; happiness is ethereal.
- Happiness is internal
pleasure is external
·
Pleasure
often has to do with physical sensations, happiness is more an inner sensation
that is associated with inner peace and mental and emotional calmness.
- Pleasure is taking; happiness is giving.
- Pleasure can be achieved
with substances; happiness cannot
be achieved with substances.
- Removal of external factors does
not make an individual unhappy as it is more of a state of mind. Removal
of external factors directly affects pleasure.
- Pleasure is experienced
alone (oneself); happiness is
experienced in social groups.
- The extremes of pleasure
all lead to addiction, whether they be substances or behaviours. 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).
Types of Happiness
ü
Excitement: A happy feeling that involves looking forward
to something with positive anticipation
ü
Gratitude: A positive emotion that involves being
thankful and appreciative
ü
Pride: A feeling of satisfaction in something that
you have accomplished
ü
Optimism: This is a way of looking at life with a
positive, upbeat outlook
ü
Contentment: This type of happiness involves a sense of satisfaction
Impact of Happiness
Happiness has been shown to
predict positive outcomes in many different areas of life.
- Positive emotions increase satisfaction with
life.
- Happiness helps people build stronger coping
skills and emotional resources.
- Positive emotions are linked to better health
and longevity.
- Positive feelings increase resilience.
Resilience helps people better manage stress and bounce back better when
faced with setbacks. For example, one study found that happier people tend
to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and that these
benefits tend to persist over time.
- People who report having a positive state of
well-being are more likely to engage in healthy behaviours such as eating
fruits and vegetables and engaging in regular physical exercise.
- Being happy may make help you get sick less
often. Happier mental states are linked to increased immunity.
