Single Idea 4172

[catalogued under 22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / a. Nature of happiness]

Full Idea

We are fortunate if we keep up the game whereby desire passes into satisfaction, and satisfaction into new desire - if the pace of this is swift, it is called happiness, and if it is slow, sorrow.

Gist of Idea

Happiness is the swift movement from desire to satisfaction, and then again on to desire

Source

Arthur Schopenhauer (The World as Will and Idea [1819], II 029)

Book Reference

Schopenhauer,Arthur: 'The World as Will and Idea', ed/tr. Berman,Jill and David [Everyman 1995], p.85


A Reaction

This seems to be the dream of the addict, as Socrates points out with his example of the leaky jar in 'Gorgias'. Should we want more desires?