I Can't Get No Satisfaction

The Rolling Stones sang, "I can't get no satisfaction." Aside from the grammatical error in that sentence, I starting thinking about satisfaction.  

There are a lot of synonyms for satisfaction: achievement, amusement, comfort, contentment, delight, enjoyment, fulfillment, gratification, happiness, joy, pleasure, pride, relief, vindication, well-being, amends, atonement, bliss, cheerfulness, compensation.

But that's not my point. My issue is the implicit assumption is that we want it. We value satisfaction. When I think of satisfaction, my mind goes to a guru sitting cross legged chanting Ohmmm. Satisfaction brings up the notion that someone has attained something. Maybe not as extreme as the state of Nirvana, but maybe a reflection that they have done well -- accomplished something important or valuable. 

I would not argue that the value of feeling good about one's accomplishment is somehow bad, but maybe all that satisfaction is not that great either. A moment's reveling in the glory of one's achievement is fine, but then what? A one hit wonder? A flash in the pan? No one wants to avoid a success, but then what? Once they know you hit a home run in the bottom of the 9th, then what? Of course, they expect you to do it again. 

And you know that. You know you hit that homerun. You are now the guy who hit that homerun. Once you are satisfied, then what's next? Now you feel the pressure of needing to hit another one. A single or double pales in comparison. 

This point is among those things that makes you wonder what you really want. Or maybe it emphasizes that we glorify some goals. If only I could _ _ _  _ (fill in the blanks), then everything would be perfect. 

Is not getting satisfaction a good thing? Maybe we get bored with being satisfied. Maybe we like the idea of knowing that we will have many chances to succeed or not. Maybe we like being challenged and not knowing what the outcome will be. Maybe satisfaction is not a state to attain and maintain but rather an episodic plus among the minuses? 

I don't know what the Rolling Stones had in mind when they wrote that song. But I sure am glad they did. What fun to think about all this!