Is it possible to be happy? (revised)

The very premise of Freud's Civilizations and its Discontents is that happiness cannot be achieved unless we are allowed to express and fulfill our every desire as human beings. However, this absolute freedom could never be granted because it would supposedly lead to violence and the downfall of civilization. These conflicting points of view leave people trapped within a society where the desires of the id are suppressed, thus they are indefinitely "discontent" according to Freud. But the question is, is some measure of happiness attainable without full expression of every underlying desire?

I think that happiness can be found within a repressed environment, though it is fleeting. In the world of today, everybody is a consumer, which fosters an ever-increasing desire for material things that bring us a feeling of happiness to have. For example, buying a new phone or iPod or laptop or clothes or whatever it is, brings joy. This joy is not permanent, however, as newer and better products continue to be made to entice consumers. This quickly diminishes the happiness and creates a feeling of want that is insatiable - for the cycle never ends. Therefore, it is possible to find happiness with material things, but it will be temporary.

The immaterial can bring happiness as well. Love or affection is considered to contribute to joy and fulfillment, but not always - not complete happiness. Lovers fight or grow apart or break up or have difficult days that prevent joy. Love definitely creates happiness, but does not necessarily lead to unwavering content.

So happiness is possible, but does happiness inevitably mean contentment? I feel contentment is a more permanent and concrete feeling, while happiness is fleeting and fragile. This stability makes contentment harder to achieve.

I think that what Adam Curtis is saying in his documentary is much like Freud, that contentment within civilization is impossible because desires are suppressed. And while people are unknowingly satisfying their id's desires by falling for advertisements and the consumer market ploys, they can be happy but not truly content with life. The only way that people can find utter peace and satisfaction is if they break away from society where their ids are uninhibited.

Yet, I am hard-pressed to believe that contentment is attainable beyond the confines of society. Both Freud and Curtis claim that without the suppression of the id and the indirect fulfilment of its desires through consumerist substitution that there would be chaos. If this is true, how can contentment be possible? Unless a chaotic environment is a factor in feeling content, which I am sure it isn’t. Is the fragmentation of society thus the key to contentment?

Perhaps contentment is simply impossible from any viewpoint. Within society, we are suppressed and unable to fully express ourselves, and therefore discontent. Outside of society, we are free to express ourselves to the fullest, leading to violence and disagreement, and therefore discontent. People are either too suppressed or too uninhibited. There needs to be a balance between the two, or contentment remains elusive. So the question stands: Is contentment possible? Or is happiness forever the fleeting substitute for the ideal?

Basically, society is built upon substitution. People substitute material possessions for their underlying desires, happiness for contentment. It is definitely possible to find happiness within civilization, through buying new things or falling in love (etc.). The feeling of content, the uninterrupted complete and utter enjoyment and fulfillment that comes along with it, cannot be achieved. There are too many competing factors that conflict with it. This is the sacrifice we choose to make in order to maintain society, the temporary happiness may last for hours, days, months or years before it is interrupted...but there is always more to be found.