Happiness is a durable state of mind, without being permanent.
It differs from pleasure which is characterized by its transient nature.
Now, the human being is a being of desire. The problem with desires is that they wait for realization and this may take one of two courses :
desire --> realization --> pleasure;
or, desire --> non-realization --> frustration/displeasure.
Furthermore, behind the desires hide fears, at first that not to obtain what we wish and then, if we obtained it, the fear of losing what we won.
By staying in this plan of desires, the human being risks to accumulate disappointments, frustrations and fears, because it is physically impossible to satisfy all his desires.
So, it is strongly advised that all those who wish to find true happiness transform their desires into preferences.
A preference, it is the fact of wishing something without wait; it is as to say himself : "I would like to obtain this (or that); if it comes true, so much the better and if it does not come true, so much the better also."
What could facilitate this transformation of desires into preferences seems to be what Carl Gustav JUNG calls the conjunction of opposites/individuation process, the process which consists of transcending the duality to aim for unity.
To deepen one's research, it is also interesting to read the works of great universalist thinkers such as those of Anthony DE MELLO and those of Ken KEYES Junior.
It differs from pleasure which is characterized by its transient nature.
Now, the human being is a being of desire. The problem with desires is that they wait for realization and this may take one of two courses :
desire --> realization --> pleasure;
or, desire --> non-realization --> frustration/displeasure.
Furthermore, behind the desires hide fears, at first that not to obtain what we wish and then, if we obtained it, the fear of losing what we won.
By staying in this plan of desires, the human being risks to accumulate disappointments, frustrations and fears, because it is physically impossible to satisfy all his desires.
So, it is strongly advised that all those who wish to find true happiness transform their desires into preferences.
A preference, it is the fact of wishing something without wait; it is as to say himself : "I would like to obtain this (or that); if it comes true, so much the better and if it does not come true, so much the better also."
What could facilitate this transformation of desires into preferences seems to be what Carl Gustav JUNG calls the conjunction of opposites/individuation process, the process which consists of transcending the duality to aim for unity.
To deepen one's research, it is also interesting to read the works of great universalist thinkers such as those of Anthony DE MELLO and those of Ken KEYES Junior.