These are synonyms to some.
[Editing because I can't reply for a while]: The dictionary writers are not the definitive masters of knowledge. What I am teaching here is (obviously) not only unknown to most people but actively denied by most.
Happiness is an internal upwelling of feeling. Pleasure is a physical sensation. They are not the same. That is why a person can be unhappy but still experience pleasure and why a person with poor life circumstances can still be happy.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness
Happiness: a) a state of well-being and contentment b) a pleasurable or satisfying experience
No where does it say that it comes from making others happy(which again, this is in itself illogical). Also, you claim many times that "sadistic pleasure" isn't happiness, but that clearly contradicts the second definition of happiness. You are free to misunderstand happiness as much as you like, but happiness has a meaning and trying to force definitions from your own universe down other people's throat and denying other's doesn't seem like the right thing to do.
Words have commonly understood and dictionary meanings.
Not some meanings you or some other person with a strong opinion gives them.
And the standard meaning of happiness doesn't include "not inflicting pain to others" as a requisite.
>Happiness is an internal upwelling of feeling. Pleasure is a physical sensation. They are not the same.
That's just pseudo-profound hocus pocus.
In fact the nuance goes even deeper: if you think you have the upper moral superiority, you could even think you do good, and are totally justified to feel happy, while inflicting untold pain on others (e.g. if you're a Nazi supporter hunting Jews, which you think betters mankinds).
So, it's not just that you can be happy inflicting pain because you're sadist and enjoy it, but also because you think you do something very good and laudable by inflicting said pain!
And, a third possibility, is that you could very happy with "an internal upwelling of feeling" because you got what you want, and your personal life and relationships go great, while still inflicting tremendous pain, if it's to people you don't even care about, and never spend a moment thinking about them (e.g. you're a rich person with a perfect family life whose riches depend on your minions exploiting lower classes which you never personally meet, and could not care less about).
How's that for nuance?
You are too stupid to know how stupid you are.
Is that you, McArthur Wheeler? Dunning & Kruger send their appreciation for inspiring their groundbreaking work.