Understanding vs. Pleasure?
Which has priority and why?

When I reflect on the common aims in life, they fall under the heads of fame/prestige, wealth, understanding, meaning, and pleasure. It seems that fame/prestige and wealth are not ends in themselves, but means towards pleasure as the final aim. And 'meaning' seems to fall under 'understanding'. So that leaves Understanding versus Pleasure. Which has priority for you and why? Which should have priority and why? Additional reflections?

Is it a possability that the meaning of ones life is to attain pleasure, and relieve pain? If such is the case, then could you really differentiate between pleasure and understanding? It seems that a better understanding of life, and its meaning would bring pleasure, and more pleasure brings greater meaning to life and thus greater understanding...

I hope that made sense to someone other than me

From the ego and its perspective in being separate this makes perfect sense because it does not understand how it could possibly create its own suffering. It lives its life trying to escape what it doesn't understand.

Then understanding becomes more inherent to what one likes and dislikes.

I dont think more understanding brings pleasure. Sometimes a breakthrough of understanding may bring pleasure, but I know for myself that ignorance may be a better stance in some respects. Being ignorant of the suffering others and their lives actually shields us from our own guilt because of our actions (pollution, greed etc.). Intelligence is like Pandora's box - you can't unlearn intelligence.

So, I'd have to say pleasure since you can derive pleasure from understanding but not really understanding from pleasure. Plus, pleasure feels nice right?

I'm inclined to disagree with that statement. My personal experiences would say otherwise.

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What do you mean by pleasure?
And of course what do you define as understanding?

Personally (definitions aside for now) understanding and thinking go hand in hand.
Thinking is the key to my very existence. All issues are approached by thinking and in the hope that the most serendipitous solution will eventuate. This process of thinking about problem X leads to a solution and in this I get pleasure. Without understanding there is no pleasure.

Intelligence is not the same as knowledge or wisdom. Highly intelligent people can be unknowledgable and unwise, take me for example

Have you heard about the theories of crystalized and fluid intelligence? Again, they're just psychological theories, but they may interest you. Intelligence is very complex, but many people often try to oversimplify it.

Tell that to a male moose in season.

A law in Fairbanks, Alaska does not allow moose to have sex on city streets.

(Ironically enough, I read that yesterday on the internet. Not sure if it's true or not.)

So, what happens? Do they get a ticket, or go straight to jail? Joking aside, though, take another lower life-form and put them under the same circumstances as the male moose. And then ponder upon my statement.

You mean, become a lower life form...

Only human beings are capable of thinking of 'lower' life forms rather than 'other' life forms.

i didn't mean anything specific by them, except maybe common sense notions. I was curious how other people would use the terms.


Maybe by pleasure, I mean anything that releases dopamine in the brain, and by understanding, I mean a type of holistic intellectual/spiritual understanding/experiencing.