Someone said something interesting to me the other day

Affable

It was-

'I think people confuse gratification with happiness'

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

nyarlothothep

I see the idea in that, basically if you're talking about instant gratification I would break it down into these terms

Will you be happier doing

(a) eating junk food, sitting around all day on the net, playing video games getting drunk all the time, learning nothing, never developing talents

or

(b) exercising-getting fitter, studying up on a topic of interest, improving in areas that you're weak in to become good, mastering an instrument etc.

One is easier and gives instant happiness, the other involves a degree of effort/pain but results in what I would think to be greater happiness overall.

Of course moderation is good, wasting time sometimes is a welcome distraction, but using it efficiently to increase happiness just seems better to me.

Affable

Interesting. I think he meant gratification as in 'what everyone thinks about said person' though, just to clarify what I think he was getting at.

spoutwell

Gratification is filling a need or a perceived need like having a dump or eating your dinner. You don't need to be happy to go through with gratification.

Joe1919

Gratification has an object. I am grateful because some desire has been fulfilled.
Happiness, on the other hand is purely subjective. 'I feel happy', it needs no object.

So, lets say I make a lot of money or score with the girl (boy) of my desire. Yes, I am grateful. Yes, the object of my desire has been fulfilled.
But.........Am I always happy when my desires are fulfilled?
Therefore, fulfilling desire (self-gratification) does not always lead to happiness. ('hedonist treadmill' argument?)

spoutwell

Gratification implies a compulsion to satisy a desire. One can't be happy if one is being forced to do something.
You can be happy eating if you're hungry. Slurping down 10 pints because you're too slack to go home is a different scenario.

Miacc

if you mean gratification in the sense of what people think about you - I do think some people confuse gratification with happiness, more so if you're the type of person who sets that as a criteria for happiness or places a high personal value on a good reputation/ belonging/ being seen positively etc. - but people confuse a lot of things with happiness, in my opinion (not excluding myself from this btw!:)).

Rabid_Ewok

You can also say that being forced to do something might not always result in unhappiness. Maybe you're a lazy fool and because someone forced you into going outside to mow the lawn does not mean you're unhappy. It might actually make you feel better...like a catalyst of sort.

1st time post, keep it real guys I like this

spoutwell

Let's face it, nothing feels the same as getting a good kicking. Like what the f*** was that? And I'm still around. Or collapsing after a nice marathon. The bliss.

K4t

I get gratification when I cum.

I'm happy when I'm dating a girl I like.

Simple as that really.

spoutwell

And the bits in between??

Craft25

you are gratified when you fulfil a need... i like satiated better

when you are happy, you have found hope for a fleeting moment