I’m not an expert on happiness, but I believe there is one thing that happiness is not – pleasure.

To me, they are different feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I think they are related, but one thing I see time and time again is people justifying unhealthy or destructive choices by saying “Well it makes me happy, so therefore I will continue to do it.”

Things like regularly taking drugs, buying clothes or even eating chocolate. If these things made us happy, then filling our lives with them should lead to even more happiness, right? Clearly, this is not the case.

Rather, I believe that happiness comes from within. Happiness endures whereas pleasure disappears rather quickly. Don’t keep telling me that eating unhealthy food makes you happy – it only provides you pleasure while the taste is in your mouth.

What could you gain by learning to separate happiness from pleasure?