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I recently thought that pain is very certain and reliable: stub my toes and it’s equally painful every time.

Pleasure is also consistent but less so: eating an applie pie is pleasurable. Maybe not two days in a row though.

Satisfaction is much less certain and reliable. Something might be satisfying today but not next week.

Hanging out with friends. Satisfying. We laugh. Then it gets less satisfying. We still laugh. But no satisfaction.



> I recently thought that pain is very certain and reliable: stub my toes and it’s equally painful every time.

Mental state matters here. A cut stings, but I've been cut and not noticed.

> Pleasure is also consistent but less so: eating an applie pie is pleasurable. Maybe not two days in a row though.

I think some forms of pleasure stem from novelty. "Variety is the spice of life" and all that.




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