Cynical view of happiness.

[paulpablo]

[quote='paulpablo' pid='1325605' dateline='1467850657'

I find that happiness for me is found in moments, not anything long-standing. Sometimes things might make me feel happy, like a new pair of jeans or shoes that are are nice and comfy. But, mostly, it is in what I am doing that I find these moments. Like spending hours in a darkroom attempting to perfect a print. Or, helping other people accomplish things.

How would you interpret this in the way of peaks and troughs?

The trough is when you don't have the perfect print or you fail in achieving it. It's also when you discover people haven't accomplished something they want to accomplish. And when you have some old jeans and shoes.
The peaks are achieving the perfect print, helping others achieve goals, buying new clothes.

If you had someone else or a machine constantly provide a perfect print and there was no challenge it and you were used to this all your life you would just become accustomed to automated unchallenging perfect print without much feeling of joy I imagine.

I imagine it's similar to the experience of being a hunter gatherer vs a constant fast food consumer.
If you constantly have fast food, it's not even a treat for you anymore, you just pay the money and it's there on demand and that's what you're used to then you will be annoyed when your fries are 4 minutes late.
Whereas a hunter will be ecstatic upon finally getting his kill even if it takes hours and they still have to prepare the kill later.
This isn't a scientific universally true example, I'm sure there are hunters who think I wish I didn't have to go through all this and there was a McDonalds around here. But I think the general premis is right, that people generally don't appreciate what they take for granted and happiness is peaks and troughs.
It could also be that you're viewing someone else's perceived trough while you're on a peak which makes you happy and appreciate what you have.