It’s interesting to me how so many people seem to believe that the human race is the most hard done by in 2024.  

The strangest part is most of them had no idea that one hundred years ago we didn’t have hot running water in our homes.  They do say that, “when we are young we think we are the first to feel anything” but as I approach my 40’s, I wouldn’t exactly call us young anymore.

I suspect this state of misery everyone seems to be in has a lot to do with the human race thinking that pleasure and happiness are the same thing.  The two are almost polar opposites and I feel that our addiction to pleasure is robbing us all of any happiness at all.  Pleasure is short lived whereas happiness is long lasting. Pleasure is taking and is experienced on our own and happiness is about giving and experienced with the people around us.  Pleasure can be achieved with substance and an overindulgence in it can lead to addiction and runs off dopamine.  Happiness cannot be achieved with the use of substance, it runs off serotonin and there is no such thing as an addiction to happiness.

Is the problem with humanity in 2024 that we have mistaken pleasure for happiness and the more pleasure we seek because we are addicted to a ‘quick fix’, the more unhappy we have become?  

Personally, I could change a few things about my life but for the most part I’m in a good space.  I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I have lost people who were important to me coupled with the struggles I have had to face.  I’ve become appreciative of what I have and the people in my life.  I also have zero time for those not worth my time no matter the length of time we’ve known each other.  I have had to learn to be selfish which has meant that when I need support, I am not sitting in the gutter crying about everyone I’ve helped in the past who I believe owes me something which is not the case at all because it was me helping people for the wrong reasons.  I’ve had to learn to be content on my own and to not look for someone who will fill that void inside me because only I can fill that myself.  I’ve had to learn to speak up when I have an issue rather than let things fester and blow up like I have in the past.  I’ve had to learn to just be me and not try to work out what I need to change for people to stick around.  To be humble enough to realise that I am replaceable but confident enough to know that there will never again be anyone like me.                

So maybe people aren’t wrong.  Maybe we do live in the most unhappy time.  This is a strange concept considering how safe we are today and little we struggle for most things in life.  

I wonder how past generations would feel about all the sacrifices they made so that we could live in such a lucky time?