Well that's my point. Happiness can't be long term by design. Our brain can't process that over time, it will always cease to provide any happy chemicals and even those will have diminishing effects. Happiness by definition is a short term burst of dopamine. The notion of this "happy life" is a creation by modern philosophy with no actual anchor in reality besides a utopian dream.
You can be satisfied with life, content even. But that's a dysthimic version of happiness. Longer term, but much more mild to a point of being unnoticeable most of the time.
That's why all these people living hedonistic lives are happier, because they are getting constant rushes of joy from the activities, but they are also building up a tolerance incredibly fast that makes them basically unable to feel much of anything but a void or depression before they even hit their mid 20s. They burned twice as bright to reach half as long.
Someone who is feeling fulfilled in his life physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally is going to be happy in a true sense
While this might be true, that person doesn't exist. Humans aren't built for such a state. If we run out of challenge and stress, we will create some because we need it to motivate us. There is a reason why eustress is a word, because we need some amount of pressure to keep us going or else the lack of makes us more miserable than it would on its own.
There is a reason why your pets need certain types of stimulus to their baser, more primal instincts in order to function. Because despite having a literally perfect life with all possible needs fulfilled, their instincts demand they hunt, they attack, they guard. The stress of not having those challenges and over fulfilled lifestyles drives them insane enough to create neuroticism from the air itself.
Well that's my point. Happiness can't be long term by design. Our brain can't process that over time, it will always cease to provide any happy chemicals and even those will have diminishing effects. Happiness by definition is a short term burst of dopamine. The notion of this "happy life" is a creation by modern philosophy with no actual anchor in reality besides a utopian dream.
You can be satisfied with life, content even. But that's a dysthimic version of happiness. Longer term, but much more mild to a point of being unnoticeable most of the time.
That's why all these people living hedonistic lives are happier, because they are getting constant rushes of joy from the activities, but they are also building up a tolerance incredibly fast that makes them basically unable to feel much of anything but a void or depression before they even hit their mid 20s. They burned twice as bright to reach half as long.
While this might be true, that person doesn't exist. Humans aren't built for such a state. If we run out of challenge and stress, we will create some because we need it to motivate us. There is a reason why eustress is a word, because we need some amount of pressure to keep us going or else the lack of makes us more miserable than it would on its own.
There is a reason why your pets need certain types of stimulus to their baser, more primal instincts in order to function. Because despite having a literally perfect life with all possible needs fulfilled, their instincts demand they hunt, they attack, they guard. The stress of not having those challenges and over fulfilled lifestyles drives them insane enough to create neuroticism from the air itself.