Dealing with our limitations

I love cookies. In order to enjoy them, I eat them with big glass of...water. If I have them with milk, then I need to take a bunch of lactase pills. Like many people, my body doesn't produce enough of the enzyme and I cannot digest lactose very well.

All of the stuff pictured here is off limits, unless I prepare myself.

But sometimes, I say, "I don't care" knowing that I will suffer within a few hours. I trade immediate pleasure for future pain. And this isn't a gamble either. This is guaranteed future pain. Why do I do that?

Why does anyone do that?

Are we equating the immediate pleasure with happiness?

We do this all the time in our lives. (I am not hectoring or lecturing here, just discussing, because I am as guilty as anyone of this.) We have to watch the game, even though we need to take care of something around the house. We over indulge in food or spirits knowing we will feel terrible later. We skip the chance to play with the kids and then they are grown up. We drive too fast to arrive on time to make up for leaving unnecessarily late. We raise our voices in frustration or anger in a cathartic release of emotion that only transfers our negative feelings to others. We succumb to temptations, knowing the consequences, because of the immediate good feelings they will produce.

Just one more hour at the office, one more drink before bed, one more last word in the argument, one more little fib to get by, one more day of procrastination, one more empty pleasure, one more glass of milk...

and then I'll do the right thing next time. Yeah, sure.

I don't want to feel wrong anymore. I want to feel right. The right thing might not make me feel immediate pleasure. I might not like it at all, but at least I know I'll be a better, stronger, happier person.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you don't want to share them publicly, then feel free to email me.