IGNTD: The Pursuit of Happiness (vs. Pleasure)

The Pursuit of Happiness (vs. Pleasure)

Jul 24, 2020

Having recently spent three days in absolute silence, I ended up reading a lot of books. One of which was The Art of Happiness, by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D. In the book, the Dalai Lama shares how, ultimately, we all have the same goal: the pursuit of happiness. And though it may sound really simple to achieve happiness… it can get complicated, fast.

In today’s episode, I want to focus in on a specific part of the conversation around happiness, and that is this blurred line between happiness vs. pleasure. A lot of people confuse the two, and oftentimes, end up sacrificing their long-term happiness for their short-term pleasure — especially in relation to addiction. In this episode, I’m breaking down the key components that you need to know regarding happiness vs. pleasure and how you can trick your brain into focusing on long-term happiness rather than short-term pleasure.

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Topics Discussed:

[:35] About the reading I did during my silent retreat.

[2:24] What I would like to discuss with you all today regarding The Art of Happiness: happiness vs. pleasure.

[3:00] The difference between pleasure and happiness.

[5:05] Why making the distinction between pleasure vs. happiness is so crucial: short-term vs. long-term gain.

[8:05] A big component to achieving happiness.

[9:45] A technique to help you aim for long-term happiness rather than short-term pleasure.