Happiness VS Survival

Happiness, as we often think of it, is mostly a construct—marketed, packaged, and sold to us by culture, advertising, and capitalism. It’s a tool to push consumption, convincing us we need things we really don’t. But at a biological level, the organism you are only cares about one thing: survival. Nature doesn’t recognize happiness or sadness; it operates on pain and pleasure—basic physiological signals. What we call “happiness” is really just the anticipation of reward, a dopamine hit that can be triggered as easily by a YouTube short as by a candy bar.

​The result? A relentless cycle that fuels capitalism while depleting you. In reality, your body craves simple essentials—water, nutrient-dense food, movement—the fundamental building blocks of survival. Give it what it actually needs, and the quality of your conscious experience is illuminated. Strip it all down and what are we left. A economic system that often exploits and manipulates our ancient systems in order to extrapolate money. What society says you need and what your mind and body need can be very different things.