For which should we work towards?
Everybody wants to be happy. Every ticking second. Yet, very few of us think about what it means to be happy, and so most of us probably don’t even know what happiness is all about. Today, we examine the nuanced differences between happiness and satisfaction. Which is more important? Will this endless search for happiness leave us unsatisfied? When will I ever be both happy and satisfied?
What Makes You Feel Happy?
Maybe it’s looking at memes on Instagram with a Kaya toast in hand. Maybe it’s doing a morning hike and admiring beautiful Mother Earth.
You can’t force yourself to be happy. You are either happy or unhappy. There’s rarely a neutral stance.
Happiness is like ice cream — we always want more. The key to increasing happiness is to change the way we think about it. Happiness is a state of mind. It comes in ebbs and flows. Happiness is joy and pure pleasure, yet it is ephemeral. We may have wonderful and transcendent moments, but they are short-lived. Then, we return to our “regular” state. Some people are happier than others, and everyone has different set points of happiness.
I am happy right now, but I don’t think I am satisfied. It’s the parity of being content and being contented. In that sense, happiness is a state of bliss while satisfaction is a state of contentment. The problem with many people who want happiness and fulfilment is that they will never get it because they will always want more. We can be happy, but not satisfied.
What Makes You Feel Satisfied?
When you’ve completed the Iron Man Triathlon you’ve been training hard for for 9 months. When you’ve finally completed the crazy project you and your mates started 3 years ago and it’s starting to come alive.
Satisfaction is how you feel about your life when you look back at it. It’s a more lasting feeling. It’s a state of being that is infinite and long-lived.
When your needs and wants are addressed, you are satisfied. It invigorates you when your mind takes a bird’s eye view of your life and loves what it sees. When you spend your time doing activities that are meaningful to you — that’s when you’ll be satisfied.
We don’t usually think about our lives, we just live them. That is why we are unable to distinguish between happiness and satisfaction. We think they are one and the same. Happiness occurs in real time and can be a one-off thing — going out on a nice date. Satisfaction occurs when our past decisions have a positive impact on our lives today — marrying the ideal person and maintaining a stable relationship with that person.
Which is More Important — Happiness or Satisfaction?
Happiness and satisfaction, according to cognitive psychologist Daniel Kahneman, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics, are two very different things. Happiness is a transient and fleeting sensation that occurs spontaneously. Meanwhile, satisfaction is a long-term sensation that develops over time and is based on completing goals and living a life that you admire.
Happiness can be, and is often lost when a person fails to achieve something, whereas satisfaction only decreases when a person cannot achieve something. Happiness is something that is shared and experienced with others, while satisfaction is enjoyed within. Happiness can be measured, but not satisfaction.
Kahneman discovered that spending time with friends is particularly helpful in gauging everyday happiness — the experiences that leave individuals feeling good. Those who are focused on long-term goals that provide satisfaction, on the other hand, may not prioritise socialising as much because they are preoccupied with the greater picture.
As a result of these decisions, Kahneman came to the conclusion that perhaps we aren’t as interested in happiness as we may profess. We want to be as happy as possible with ourselves and our circumstances, and this takes us in a very different route than happiness maximisation.
Despite the fact that you will never be without anything if you are satisfied, meeting your heart’s wishes and the demands of your requirements will not necessarily make you happy.
Everything is based on your personal beliefs. If you view poverty as a blessing rather than a curse and are content with what you have, you have a better chance at being happy than someone who views material possessions as a requirement in life. They will never be satisfied unless all of their desires are realised, which is next to impossible given that Man’s needs, wants, and desires will never cease to exist.
Satisfaction and flow do not come from a constant state of doing or from being perpetually immersed in busywork. The world’s happiest people have a feeling of purpose in their lives. They’re concerned about the greater good and their impact on the world around them, and they’re living in the now. They’re not busy; they’re engaged.
To be happy, you must first discover yourself and understand who you are and what you desire. You will then be able to identify the things that are truly important and provide you with fulfilment.
Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.
Theodore Isaac Rubin
How to Lead a More Satisfying life
1. Find Purpose
Purpose lends meaning to life. A sense of purpose grows from connecting with others and oneself. A crisis of purpose is hence, often a symptom of isolation. Without it, you will be living in the realm of nihilism. Finding your purpose does not come easy and certainly won’t happen in a matter of days, weeks, or months. It is a lifelong journey.
2. Be thankful for What You Have Now and Show Gratitude
Appreciate whatever comes your way, good or bad, sweet or sour. It’s important to practice mindfulness.
3. Nurture Your Relationships
Keep in touch with your loved ones, spend quality time with them, provide genuine praises. Hang out with people who are happy and who make you happy.
4. Love Yourself for Who You are
Stop trying to be someone else or someone you aren’t. You don’t have to change anything about yourself in order to be both happy and content. You are great, so just keep working at it.
Happiness today, I think, is for most people the satisfaction of the eternal suckling: to drink in more this, that and the other.
Erich Fromm
Happiness is a state of mind, whereas satisfaction is the absence of desire. Although happiness and satisfaction can coexist, one can be happy even though his desires are unfulfilled, and one can be satisfied without being happy.
If you’re not sure which one is most essential to you, consider your views and philosophy. In life, you can discover happiness in the smallest of things. While eating your favourite ice cream may make you joyful, if you feel guilty deep down, you will not be fulfilled. Being happy or satisfied is largely determined by your ideas that give your life meaning. Once your fair share has been done, you will feel both satisfied and happy.
Define what happiness and satisfaction mean to you. Satisfaction will arrive once your source of happiness or success is in sync with your inner beliefs and worldview. Being satisfied entails doing work that is personally meaningful to you. So, in some ways, aiming for satisfaction is a better way to go.
Arriba, Abajo, Al centro, Pa Dentro, a toast to all of you good folks!
Alexander SR Pang
ALEXANDER SR PANG 