Pleasure gives us short-term distractions like social media, alcohol, or narcotics to suppress unpleasant feelings. Joy is long term fulfillment by realizing our inner potential. Hercules had a choice to make at the fork in the road. The easy life of vice or the more difficult life of virtue requiring courage and honor. Happiness is in the journey, not the destination. Entertainment like alcohol, intimacy, or junk food are only bad when used in excess. The smart person exercises moderation and obtains consistent happiness by achieving his fundamental goal in life. Socrates says we can find greater pleasure in self-control than any external fleeting pleasure. The paradox is the emotion of fear and anger cause us greater harm than what upsets us. Further, self-control will do you greater good than all external things. Study yourself and observe when you are in a high risk situation. Observe your problems or coping mechanisms, but detach yourself. This will remove emotion, forcing you into the present moment and weakening the urge. Replace bad habits with good ones. Rid yourself of bad habits by repeatedly picturing the bad effects of this habit. Also, picture of positive consequence of not having this bad habit. Finally, people have a desire for gain and a fear of loss and the fear of loss is stronger. With that in mind, another way to practice gratitude is by picturing the the loss of the things and people we love. It will also remind us that these things and people we love aren't under our control and they may be gone at any time.