Sustainable Happiness, does it exist?

When I got the phone call that I was successful in applying for my internship at Currency Solutions for that 2 minutes I was the happiest person in the world.

4 months into the internship I went from happiest person in the world to worrying whether this internship was too long as I started to not learn anything.

I was right. It was too long. I noticed my happy level in this case went from 3 to 10 to 3 again.

is happiness just a temporary state on emotion?

It's hard to be happy, but very easy to be unhappy. The theory whether happiness is temporary can be used in everything. You can buy a new phone and be happy with it for the first few months but eventually more phones come out that are better, phones that you like and phones that everybody uses. That initial happiness that your phone gave you starts to lower; but why should it? You bought that phone because you liked it and it made you a bit, if not a lot, happier.

I currently have a BlackBerry Bold 9000. At the time I bought it; It was old. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 just came out, but I couldn't afford it and I don't like contracts. It made me very happy. Although it is old I can still do modern day activities, like surf the internet and even read emails. Now, more phones have arrived that are better. Phones that I like.

The happiness that my phone gave me has decreased. After much thought I've figured out why:

- I've become used to it

- The volume button seems somewhat broken

- New phones got better cameras than mine

The most important point is 'I've become used to it'. Maybe this is what answers the question whether sustainable happiness exist. In-order to sustain happiness I need (or we as humans need) something that will change. For my phone example, adding a new batch of songs to my phone is enough for me to keep my phone forever. If the volume button on my phone eventually decides to stop working, I will try and get it repaired. If I can't, then my happy level decreases dramatically. Adding a new batch of songs is enough for me to sustain the happiness I have with my phone.

This example can work for anything. A marriage that doesn't change can turn dull and end up in divorce. From initial happiness of "the happiest day in your life" to "you are officially divorce."

It seems inevitable that happiness will deteriorate. That initial happiness will be the highest happiness you will ever have with something or someone. However, Happiness can only be sustained by change and maintenance.

If the services on my phone holds up and the volume button doesn't break; I will be happy with it for a very very long time.