The Pleasure Inherent in Exchange

   The satisfaction of life is not in closing in on oneself, but in altruism. Unlike selfishness, which means putting the ego at the center, altruism means having the other as a priority.

   “The door of happiness opens to the outside; whoever forces it in the opposite direction ends up closing it even more.” (Sören Kierkegaard - Philosopher)

   “Human personality is a narrative structure, therefore it lacks meaning. Meaning is found and realized (...) through our conscious actions. The question that remains is: is it characteristic of human beings to fulfill themselves in the search for meaning or comfort? Those who seek to fulfill themselves in comfort are trapped in the realm of matter and will always save themselves, in the hope that preserving themselves will be enough to find happiness. It is the paradox of human happiness: those who save themselves are lost. Those who donate themselves for a non-negotiable value find meaning in living.” (Dr. Saulo Barbosa - Psychiatrist)

    The “exchange” is one of the most pleasurable experiences there is, an evidence of this is food. In the act of having lunch or dinner in a "restaurant", when exchanging heat and absorbing the energy of food, we experience the pleasure of a "restauration of weself". Another example is human breathing. The temperature of the environment in which you are now reading this text is probably something below 98,6 fahrenheint degrees. 98,6 farenheint degrees is, on average, the temperature of the human body in its normal state. When the environment is warmer than our body, we have a feeling of stuffiness, suffocation, which, by the way, is the same feeling that occurs in some anxiety or depression crises. This happens because the exchange, in addition to being something tasty, is indispensable. We cannot fail to carry it out, otherwise we languish in meaninglessness. When we “exchange ideas” talking to someone interesting or even reading a good book, we experience this pleasure. We were not created for self-enclosure, for stagnation. Life is a dynamic reality!

     Relating satisfies the soul because, by sharing and welcoming ideas, we obey the rule written, not in books, but in our hearts. The word "agreement" in Latin is the combination of the terms "ad" + "cordes" which together mean: "for the heart", that is, the agreement is a dialogue aimed at the hearts. Peace is the result of an exchange, she "is the tranquility in the order.” (Augustine of Hippo - 354-430 A.D.)