"We'll refund if you're not 100 happy"

The pleasure principle having been discussed last night, I am moving on to more profound feelings: happiness.

Had a conversation a couple of days ago with one of my best friends who told me that in his opinion it's time to call it quits (in a relationship or in other matters) when the pleasure you get is 49% vs 51% that is still okay but not what it used to be. I commented that many people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, for 2% is really a tiny margin. My friend suggested I'd make a piece based on it.

So of course I did. Just finished designs for more pieces than one, for I wanted my friend (male, so pieces are very different from the 'standard') to see the joys of creation and the pains in the final selection round.

My designs' starting point therefore was to show how happiness gives way to less happiness, and does so in a very subtle, delicate way. I briefly considered Ancient Greek & Roman Erotic Art (beautiful but too predictable), but than went back to my B&W photo collection.

Here are some examples. Let's see if you can tell who looks happier (it's all about the 'looks', the impressions we get, not about the real, actual happiness, of course). But it's equally important for we are in the business of working on appearances, all of us, in one way or another.

And on the final note: all the British products' labels promise: "We'll refund if you are not 100% happy". The phrase 'with our product' has magically disappeared.

At any other time I could've been tempted to claim the refund, but right now I am going through a happy creative phase, so, thanks, but no, thanks!