I would argue that everything we choose in life falls into a spectrum of pursuing pleasure or choosing to avoid pain. And most decisions are a mix of both ends of that spectrum.
- What color socks should I wear today? Pleasure: If I choose well, friends will compliment my choice. Pain avoidance: If I choose poorly, an honest friend might take me aside and question my choice.
- Should I say a joyous yes to my partner on my wedding day? Pleasure: Yes! You’re the one I’ve been waiting for all my life!! I can’t imagine life without you. Pain avoidance: I have some level of doubt – even just a little. My parents got divorced, and I know the immense pain they have gone through.
- Should I buy that $150,000 Porsche (assuming that’s a possible choice)? Pleasure: Wow – the rush of incredible speed, the feel of quality and craftsmanship, singular lasting style, and uncompromising performance will be part of my journeys. Pain avoidance: What could I do with that money to help others? How long will that pleasure last? What will some of my friends think?
- Should I volunteer with that group that helps underprivileged people? Pleasure: Giving my time and energy seems to provide even more reward to me than to those I serve. Pain avoidance: It’s emotionally exhausting to bridge the gap and make a real connection.
Be blessed as you decide.
I generated the image above using the AI tool, Red Panda. I generated the image below using Microsoft’s Copilot tool. I was surprised that Red Panda got much closer to what I was thinking, even though its creator has a lot less money to spend than Adobe. A distant third place was Adobe’s Firefly tool, which couldn’t seem to understand that I wanted one of the identical women to be smiling and the other to be sad… both faces were smiling in all of my ten attempts.
