What are your thoughts about the scene from Wall Street when Charlie Sheen sits in his apartment with beautiful girl and says life is great? –@Julian_Lenz
A lot of times we strive for things that we think will increase our happiness: sex with the beautiful person at the gym. More money. A lot more money. A house. A nice big house. A nice car. Winning that last hand of poker, etc.
But think about all these things: you have sex with the beautiful woman one day (happiness!) and the next day you’re wondering where she is when she doesn’t return your calls (unhappiness!). You make a lot of money on a deal (happiness) and then you lose it on the next (misery!).
This is not real happiness. It’s a mountain: the entire time you are walking up you are sweating and in pain. Then you get to the peak and you look around and you’re happy. And then you go down the mountain you no longer have that same happiness.
This “peak happiness” is not real happiness. It’s a fake happiness. It’s a dopamine addiction created happiness.