Comfort and contentment– two distinct feelings that have often been viewed synonymously. It can be difficult to differentiate between feeling comfortable and being truly content, as we have learned to associate the feeling of comfortability with the concept of happiness. In reality the two are very different, and being able to separate the two can help us discover what we truly want and need.
What’s the difference?
Comfort refers to a mental or physical state of ease, lacking suffering or hardship. Comfort is a result of ones circumstances, the things that we have and lack being the cause of how comfortable we feel. For example, a warm bed or financial stability are both things that can trigger a sense of comfort. However, contentment refers to a depper feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment that does not rely on external factors. Comfort is based more on material possessions while contentment is dependant on what you feel internally.
People are often under the impression that gaining material possessions like money and property will make them content and bring them true happiness. However, these things can only make you feel comfortable, not fulfill a deeper sense of true happiness that are not a result of material gain or wealth.
The Dangers of Comfort
Comfort can be a dangerous thing, as it may give a false sense of security and it fosters stagnation. Stagnation leads to a lack of personal growth and discovery, and holds people back from achieving bigger and better things out of fear of disrupting their current state of comfort. Allowing ourselves to venture outside of our comfort zones to achieve these better things and feelings is what leads us closer to finding pure happiness and contentment. Uncovering these joys allows people to appreciate and be grateful for what they have regardless of what it actually is and find pleasure in their life and the simple things.
Reaching Contentment
As we navigate our lives we seek to discover what brings us joy, ultimately in search for that contentment that we all want to feel in our lifetime. We try to reach this by getting jobs, gaining wealth to give us security and having families. Security will lead to a lack of worries and then happiness follows, right?
We realize that even if we are comfortable and worry free, that does not automatically equal true contentment and happiness. High paying careers may make your debt disappear but they also may not make you happy. Contentment is more difficult to achieve than comfort because it requires one to look inside of themselves and reflect on what truly is missing from their life. It emphasizes gratitude and being appreciative of what you have and finding joy in even the simplest pleasures.
By focusing on living in the moment and being grateful for everything you have, accepting what you can and cant change and prioritizing our mental health and fostering relationships that are meaningful to us we can begin to develop that deeper sense of contentment and fulfillment that we all crave.
What do you think? Have you been guilty of mistaking comfort for contentment? Let us know your thoughts by mentioning @VALLEYmag on X!
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