The Two Types of Happiness Explored by Freud - Essay Example

Freud: Human Happiness in "Civilization and Its Discontents" Introduction Freud believes that humans can reason back about phenomena, so as to understand the rational causes behind them. According to Freud, human behaviour – both at the collective and the individual level – can be explained on the basis of the driving forces and the decision-making underlying them (Freud 22). He adopts a model which is further developed, when compared to those of Darwin; Darwin did not ascribe to progressivism, unlike Freud. Freud’s model maintains that civilization is progressive, and that in a similar manner to the development process of individuals, the course of civilization becomes engraved on the modes of dealing with uncertainty (Freud 23-24). Freud ascribes to a number of principles, including that archaeology offers an explanative model for the exploration of the self and the workings of the society. There is also another principle that the nature of civilization requires interpretation, because the reality on the service is usually misleading, which requires people to investigate further. Through this paper, the author will explore the civilizations and its discontents, with the aim of exploring different themes. Discussion According to Freud, civilization is intrinsically contrary to the happiness of humans, as the process of civilizing the individual entails suffocating the various sexual and aggressive impulses that contribute to his happiness in the largest proportion. Further reflection on the behaviours and the purpose of human life, Freud concluded that apart from the pursuit of a religious perspective, human life does not have an intrinsic meaning (Freud 38). Through the observation of human behaviour, incorporating the premises explored before, Freud made the conclusion that happiness is at the core of all that is pursued by people. The inference led him to the conclusion that happiness is that, which people demand from life and aspire to achieve. This means that humans will strive to become happy and to remain that way, at all cost. In conclusion, Freud boils down the different premises that lay the framework for his definition of happiness, and maintains that happiness is the avoidance of the situations that cause unhappiness, and also the experience of a short, strong feeling of satisfaction, which never last for a long time. This tells that, in Freud’s eyes, happiness refers to the momentary experiences of the satisfaction of human needs; it is impossible to remain happy for a long time (Freud 38). However, Freud emphasizes the importance of contrast, and maintains that avoiding unhappiness results in happiness. Freud maintains that there are two types of happiness, and the first is that which arises from avoiding all the causes and the experiences that make a person feel unhappy. The second form of happiness is that, which results from the experience of a short, strong feeling of satisfaction, which results from the experience of having needs satisfied (Freud 40). Freud continues to emphasize the fact that the inability of man to experience long-lasting happiness arises from the fact that, the process of civilization requires him to choke the impulsive tendencies that make a man very happy. These two impulsive forces underlying the happiness of man include aggression and sexual impulses. The conclusion that civilization suppresses these two fundamentals of man’s happiness leads Freud to the conclusion that the primitive man was much happier than the modern man (Freud 40). According to Freud, the three main sources of human suffering are the human body. This is, to him, a source of suffering, because the human body is weak and feeble, and with the tendency to develop weakness and to get worn-out (Freud 26). This nature of the human body causes them to feel pain, which is among the fundamental feelings behind the experience of suffering. The second source of human suffering is the superior nature of the world and nature, where nature possesses the potential of causing suffering to a human being, without giving them the choice to overcome the basis of the suffering. The examples that Freud gives, in explaining the role of nature and the world in human suffering include that natural catastrophes cause humans to experience suffering, due to the fact that humans are not able to control nature, irrespective of the fact that nature is a necessity for the lives of humans and their wellbeing (Freud 26). For example, the victims of drought experience suffering that may lead them to death, but will remain a victim of such events, until nature corrects itself. The third main source of human suffering is the social relations kept by man. Freud maintains that the social legislation of human relations, the general construction of the society into networks of relationships and the association kept with other human beings predisposes humans to suffering. The examples given by Freud include that the social construction of society as developed on the family unit is a major source of suffering for humans, especially considering that the family unit has been changing due to the advancement of civilization. For example, the divorce of families is a major source of human suffering for adults and children. Among the three major sources of human suffering, the first two are inevitable and uncontrollable by humans; humans cannot overcome the frail nature of the body and they can not control nature entirely (Freud 26). The third source of human suffering is relatively under the control of human beings. The various coping mechanisms used by men to avoid pain and misery; to counter their suffering in the society include the deflection of pain and the feelings of disappointment, through exposing themselves to planned distractions (Freud 22). The advantages of using planned distractions to avoid suffering include that, the effects of chronic illnesses are reduced. Some of the problem cases that benefit from planned distraction include those suffering from terminal illnesses and depression (Freud 23). The areas that are improved by getting distracted from suffering include empowerment, resilience, and developing a fighting spirit, which helps people to overcome the weight of suffering. The second advantage of using distractions to avoid suffering is that depression and stress are reduced, and that makes the individual to develop a higher level of wellbeing, especially in addressing the inevitable difficulties of social life. The effects of this include that the decision-making skills of the individual are also improved. The third advantage of using distractions to counter suffering include that the pain experienced by sick people or from other situations is lessened. The disadvantages of using planned distractions to avoid suffering, which leads to the development of a culture of distraction, include that it makes people become disconnected from the events and the people in society, which limits the individual’s ability to employ long-term thinking. This disadvantage results from the fact that the lack of brain stimulation for these people makes them feel a sense of anxiety. The second disadvantage of using distractions to avoid suffering is that people lose the insights and the creativity that result from interacting with problems and concerns, due to the fact that they fill their time with distractions. The third disadvantage of adopting the culture of distraction to reduce or eliminate suffering is that people lose touch with the experience of humanity, which is enriched by the sharp contrasts between suffering and happiness among others. The second strategy used to reduce human suffering is that of substitutive satisfactions, where reality is replaced with art among others sources of satisfaction (Freud 22-23). The advantages of adopting a substitutive satisfactions approach include that it helps people to develop empathy for human suffering and it helps individuals in community to express issues and concerns in society, especially those that are related to deep truths. The outcomes of these advantages include that the coping mechanisms make society to rethink issues, which fosters growth. The disadvantages of adopting a substitutive satisfaction approach include that the suppression of harsh reality is used differently and interpreted differently by different people, which triggers different responses. The outcomes of the interaction between the pluralistic world and this coping strategy can cause unhappiness for some people or groups. The third coping mechanism used to deal with the suffering in society is the use of intoxicating substances. The advantages of this coping mechanism are that it can offer satisfactory relief in the short term, which improves levels of satisfaction; they reduce the risks of panicking or anxiety and anxiety disorders (Freud 22-23). The disadvantages of this coping mechanism are that it can trigger adverse effects, including fogginess, sleepiness and a lack of motor coordination. These side effects affect a person’s performance in school, work and in everyday life. In some cases, this coping mechanism can lead to addictions and long-term effects due to over sedation, which affects a person’s quality of life. Cultural frustration refers to the feeling of inhibition and limitation by the social culture of sacrificing a certain level of happiness for long-term security, especially, during the making of economic decisions. In such cases, the individual overlooks immediate gratification and happiness, in the interest of long-term stability (Freud 48). According to Freud, the inevitable outcome is that the management of human instincts and drives increases the predictability of human behaviour, which is capitalised by civilization. The process of civilization affects a person’s ability to become and feel happy, through forcing them into social bonds and strictures where they are forced to sacrifice a percentage of their happiness, so as to afford longer happiness (Freud 47). Civilization compels people to exchange immediate gratification with stability in the long-term, which entails the rejection of one-time happiness for small bits of happiness in the long term. Freud’s discussion of happiness connects with the arguments of civilization and disconnect in different ways, including that the false standards embraced by men determine the things that they avoid and the ones that they embrace (Freud 49). The outcomes of this association are that the things embraced by some people are totally unacceptable and are triggers of unhappiness to others. Embracing illusions as mechanism of feeling happy is a common phenomena in society, and that connects with the description of happiness for humans, noting that humans can identify with illusions, as a way of avoiding harsh realities. In his exploration of the oceanic feeling, Freud emphasizes that it is a state which many have not experienced, and that is in line with the types of happiness, where the emphasis is that moments of happiness result from the satisfaction of human needs. This is also in line with the type of happiness grounded on avoiding bad experiences, noting that it is impossible to avoid all sources of unhappiness. This is the case, because the superior nature of the body and nature make it impossible for humans to suppress suffering totally. Conclusion Freud maintains that human behaviours are depictions of underlying causes and biases, whether the behaviours are of an individual or a collective nature. Freud’s outlook is different from that of other scholars like Darwin, noting that he acknowledges the progressive nature of civilization. Freud believes that happiness is undermined by civilization; happiness entails the avoidance of suffering and the bursts of satisfaction that result from the satisfaction of human needs. The two types of happiness explored by Freud include that resulting from the avoidance of suffering and that resulting from the satisfaction of human needs. The sources of human suffering include the human body, nature and social relationships. The coping mechanisms used to eliminate human suffering include the deflection of pain, substitutive satisfactions, and the use of intoxicating substances. Cultural frustration is the inhibition caused by civilization, and the inhibition limits the happiness of people. Freud’s happiness connects with the arguments presented through civilization and disconnect, including that happiness is only momentary and illusions are used to escape harsh reality. Works Cited Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. London: Penguin, 2002. Print. Read More