The Difference Between Pleasure and Contentment According to Dr. Arash Naraghi

“Pleasure” is a state that comes quickly and goes quickly. “Contentment” is a station that arrives slowly and endures long. “Pleasure” befalls one—that is, it is a passive emotion. “Contentment,” however, must be attained—that is, it is an active mode of being. A person of pleasure is not necessarily content with himself and his life. He laughs, but at the bottom of his laughter is the acrid taste of ennui and depression. “Pleasure” dispels sorrow, but not ennui and depression. “Contentment,” however, sometimes has an undertone of sorrow. A content person is not always cheerful, but neither is he weary and depressed. “Pleasure” is our emotional reaction to the presence of “delight.” “Contentment,” however, is our mode of being in the presence of “meaning.” Life’s “delights” bring pleasure; life’s “meaning” brings contentment. Among the ills of our time is that most of us have settled for pleasure in place of contentment.

Source: Arash Naraghi’s Facebook page | May 18, 2015 | Monday, 28 Ordibehesht 1394