Sunday, May 2, 2010

Satisfaction: Round Two

It's always been my outlook that no one is ever satisfied. It seems as if constant, continuous ambition is ingrained in us; maybe it's Darwinian. Got the silver in the regional gymnastics competition? Now go for the gold. Got the gold? Go for the national competition this time. And so on.
The question is, how well can we as human beings separate satisfaction with happiness? How can we tell the difference?
Say an average guy, on his average day, has only two good things happen to him. First, he walks to school that morning under a perfect sun - the kind that seems to stroke your arms with just the right amount of heat so you're far from shivering, but not sweating up a storm either. He feels himself soaking up all that precious vitamin D. "What a beautiful day," he says to himself. Happiness.
That day, his teacher hands him back an important test, and on it is a big, fat A. He studied hours for this exam; he had worked hard; he now reaps the benefits. Satisfaction.
Now, when Average Guy comes home that day, which event will he recount to his family?Which will put him in a better mood? Which event really had an effect on his overall happiness?
I say the test. He enjoyed the sun during his walk, but the satisfaction gives him pride that will really stick with him. Unless he's a romantic, sentimental type, he won't mention the sun again; but he'll think back to that excellent test for many times to come.
And say, just for kicks, that he'd failed that test. He would be filled with total, utter dissatisfaction. He'd be so upset with the fact that all his studying didn't pay off, he probably wouldn't even notice how lovely the sun was that day. He'd be cranky and dark, and most of all, he'd be unhappy.
So how good really are we at drawing the line between satisfaction and happiness? It seems a very human habit to confuse two totally different departments of life. (Does anyone else find that your life's hardly a perfect pie chart; that the different sectors your life completely blend into one another, and you notice yourself thinking about what you'll wear to that thing on Saturday when your coach is talking at soccer practice?) Why would we be any better at the art of differentiating these two semi-similar states of being?
Feel free to say otherwise, of course. Maybe it's just a personal thing. Whatever your outlook is, let us know.

-Meredith

11 comments:

  1. it's kinda a cool thought, when i think about it technically i know to separate them but i don't

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  2. Agreed, I definitely am guilty of getting thse two mixed up and I'm not even an "Average Guy" hah!

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  3. yes but at the same time i am totally against the idea of a certain average guy, theres no mold for a person bcause we tend to all be different

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  4. I see what you're saying but I feel it is safe to assume a few common characteristics in this big human race! hah, I don't know, there's no Average Person though, I think it's just hypothetical

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  5. Never thought about this before, but you're completely right. Satisfaction and happiness are two distinctly different emotions. Great point and thoughtful post.

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  6. I agree- I think we mix these two up more than we may realize. This (very well written) post :) is a good reminder to remember and think about both happiness and satisfaction in our daily lives. I think that we will be better people for it.

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  7. but what is satisfaction without happiness? and vice versa? it's my opinion that they're impossible not to meld. tricky business there

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  8. doesnt satisfaction lead to happiness? and how can you have happiness without satisfaction?

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  9. Interesting points. However, I'm finding a lot these comments to be a bit depressing. Let me explain: Are you telling me that, in its entirety, we live our lives to never be satisfied or fully happy? That, at the end of our lives, it is impossible to look back and be happy and grateful? I'm not saying that every moment in life is a happy one, but I'd just like to point out that I don't think we exist for temporary pleasure. Do you think there is a possibility of a higher power or something who/that instills meaning into our lives? If not, are you comfortable living day to day with the knowledge that your life was an "accident" caused by a couple of bangs and natural selection?

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  10. I think that in order to be happy, one must be satisfied with themselves. But that doesn't mean being the best. Obviously, everyone can't be the best. To me, statisfaction is trying my best, laughing, and trying new things. If everyone could find a few things that makes them satisfied, happiness would be much less scarce.

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