Can we promise happiness?

Happiness isn't a constant emotion—like saddness or surprise or fear, it's not sustainable.

To chase after happiness is to try to preserve that which cannot be preserved; it has always made more sense to chase after something sustainable, like contentedness, satisfaction.

>>8066774
Yeah happiness seems to me like a paradigm, an unattainable idea of constant plenitude. I think it is something that we can only approach asymptotically

>>8066770
You can't promise an emotion. Everyone reacts differently, everyone feels differently. We may be of the same species, but our brains differ. Whether that is a good thing or not.

>>8066774
>satisfaction
but satisfaction is always followed by dissatisfaction, once the object of desire is consumed. likewise contentedness is only temporary, and once it's gone, it will only hurt more. does it really make sense to strive for such things? shouldn't we aim for something higher?

>>8066805
happiness is more than just an emotion. I'd say it's more like a mental state

are philosophers the only beings able to promise happiness?

what is happiness

yes because virtue is sufficient for happiness

>>8066811
>once it's gone, it will only hurt more
Not necessarily.

>>8067616
absolutely eric :^)

>>8067616
how so

>>8067616
the only patrician here

>>8069434
because you'd be unhappy without it

>>8066770
What the fuck is the animal in that picture

>>8066770
Only for ourselves. For others it can only be like leading a horse to water.

>>8066774
Contentedness and satisfaction are a part of happiness. All emotion is transitory, true, but the various forms or levels happiness can be something close to sustainable.

>>8066832
Hardly. Most of them make misery.

>>8070069
A dog. Some sort of Whippet.