[AncewwewBus]

It has occurred to me that despite knowing that sensual craving/lust/indulgence leads to suffering some of us may still preferable to continue to indulge in craving or lust than to give it up despite the discontentment (dukkha). Have you observed this?

What I have observed is that the craving or lust for something has a certain familiar pleasure in itself despite it being known to be out of our reach. For example, denying oneself something that one would consider as a pleasure can bring a type of pleasure through suffering itself. Lingering on that sense of denial or suffering produced by the craving/lust can become familiar, like a habit, as if the denial and suffering provides a sense of ‘self’ or even a continued value in life e.g. “maybe today I will get the X of my dreams”. We may feel that the continued struggle and the suffering that accompanies it has more value than being content with what little we already have.

My point here is that ending suffering may not always be the issue but it can in fact be a form of pleasure in that it reasserts the worth of our values. Can anyone relate to this, is there more to learn from pali suttas or Buddhist philosophy to understand (and overcome) this pleasure in suffering (dukkha)?

Thanks, metta.