Happiness is more of a ‘background’ condition

 

“Schopenhauer wrote, ‘Happiness consists in frequent repetition of pleasure.’ Most other philosophers, however, have made some kind of distinction between pleasure as a temporary state of excitement or enjoyment, and happiness as a more enduring condition. So the pleasure of eating a fine meal lasts only as long as the meal does, whereas the happiness of a contented person persists in quiet moments. It makes sense to look at someone who is sleeping and say, ‘There lies a happy person,’ but it usually makes no sense to say, ‘There lies someone experiencing pleasure.’ Happiness is thus more of a ‘background’ condition, while pleasure is a fleeting experience which occupies the foreground of our experience.”