The principle of satisfaction
From practical experience, we can understand the adequacy of the statement from the first chapter of the Sufficiently General Theory of Controlling (SGTC): http://dotu.ru/2004/06/23/20040623-dotu_red-2004/
"Every mind — individual or collegiate — in the hierarchy of mutual nesting structures of the Universe, first of all deals with tasks of controlling in relation to the hierarchically inferior systems and tasks of self-controlling within the limits provided by the hierarchically highest encompassing controlling in relation thereto."
Since goals are inevitably present in the process of controlling, this means that every intellect carries a set of goals in one way or another i.e. a vector of goals. At the same time, the hierarchical ordering of goals affects the psyche in a certain way. The essence of this effect is twofold and is expressed in the fact that the goals attributed to high priority 1) bring dissatisfaction i.e. exert pressure on the psyche if unachieved, 2) bring satisfaction if achieved.
The amount of dissatisfaction and satisfaction is directly proportional to the priority of the goal. The lower the priority of the goal , the less pressure is when the goal is unattainable, but also the less satisfaction when it is achieved.
Thus, satisfaction and dissatisfaction with respect to a specific goal are two sides of the same coin and are included in the State Vector of a system due to the displacement of each other.
At the same time, there is no dissatisfaction as such, there is satisfaction, and dissatisfaction is nothing but lack of satisfaction.
In other words, if we take the well-known analogy about the stick and the carrot, then the stick as such does not exist in the Universe, there is only the carrot. And the absence of a carrot is perceived as a stick.
And this is the essence of satisfaction i.e. the principle that encourages a particular mind to achieve certain goals, trying to avoid the stick and seeking the carrot.
Similar reciprocal phenomena are not uncommon in our Universe. For example, cold and heat. There is no cold as such, it is just the absence of heat. So is light and darkness i.e. darkness is the absence of light.
Suffering and happiness are the stick and the carrot under the influence of which the psyche of an individual is set in motion. Although the stick itself does not exist, there is only the carrot, but still it can be said that the feelings of an individual always tend to move away from the stick and get closer to the carrot. Everything that a person does, he does to obtain happiness and to escape from suffering.
A person gets happiness when achieving the goals prescribed in his unconscious areas of the psyche as the first priority. http://www.bharatiya.ru/india/zak_manu/zak_manu02.html
“2. Desire is not praiseworthy, but there is no lack of desire in this world ( ... ). 3. Desire has its root in the idea of gain <in the form of happiness>, sacrifice has its origin in the idea of gain <in the form of happiness>, vows and the dharma prescribing abstinence are all considered to be born from the idea of gain <in the form of happiness>. 4. In this world, you will never see anything done without a desire for reward, because everything that a person does is done out of a desire for happiness.”
Every individual is self-controlled and controlled from Above by the unconsciously organized principle of satisfaction.
The principle of satisfaction is the principle according to which mental action (movement) is carried out unconsciously from state S1 to state S2 only in the presence of a potential difference between AH1 and AH2, where AH2 ⋝ AH1 (AH2 is greater than or equal to AH1). AH1 and AH2 means the amount of happiness/satisfaction/ joy/light/etc. from the state S1 and S2, respectively.
The question of where satisfaction comes from, what is its source, has only one root answer: it is HSAEC (Hierarchically Supreme All-Encompassing Controlling)/The Creator/God/Creator/Absolute/ Allah/ and other designations of the Supramundane Reality which created our reality.
Thus, HSAEC, by giving satisfaction for having achieved a goal, stimulates people via the carrot to a certain movement, and vice versa, limiting the dose of satisfaction He stimulates people to a certain movement by using sort of the stick. It is HSAEC that controls satisfaction and dissatisfaction of His creations.
The case when it is possible to move contrary to satisfaction is associated with the fact that individuals with a soul (particularly human ones), due to the presence of this very soul, have free will i.e. the ability to independently set goals from the level of consciousness independently from the unconscious level. This ability, in addition to self-controlling via the principle of satisfaction, enables using another mechanism of self-controlling i.e. the principle of expediency.
Self-controlling on the principle of expediency is a kind of self-controlling when a conscious mental action (movement) occurs from state S1 to state S2 in case such movement is feasible, in part because of its adequacy to the Providence and the Inborn Feeling of the Truth (IFT) expressing that, as well as knowledge, experience, etc. This happens even if there is a potential difference between AH1 and AH2, where AH1 is ⋝ AH2 (AH1 is greater than or equal to AH2). AH1 and AH2 means the amount of happiness/satisfaction/ joy/light/etc. from the state S1 and S2, respectively. Thus, an individual is able to act adequately to the Providence, contrary to the principle of satisfaction, which may encourage anti-Providence actions (it is often pleasant to degrade rather than grow spiritually, and it is quite difficult to resist degradation).
On the principle of satisfaction in Kabbalah
Among the literature, there is a particularly prominent work of Baal Sulam called "Shamati (Heard)". http://www.kabbalah.info/rus/ https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Бааль-Сулам http://www.kabbalah.info/rus/content/view/frame/31617 This work is considered to be one of the peaks of Kabbalistic wisdom and is defined as the most important book in the world. http://www.kabbalah.info/rus/content/view/full/53597
In "Shamati" article 19.Why the Creator hates the bodies... let us read:
"The Lord can give you light and abundance – because He has the light! But not in His power is the darkness and dissatisfaction felt by a person."
Light in Kabbalah is a designation and one of its equivalents is satisfaction. Thus the passage says that HSAEC is able to give satisfaction, but unable to give dissatisfaction i.e. darkness. If we compare the meaning of this quote with what is written in the beginning of the present article, it is obvious that the quoted fragment fails to consider the Creator's basic controlling of His creations through dosing out light which means basic flow of satisfaction drifts into dissatisfaction, and vice versa. The above passage has no understanding that both light/abundance/satisfaction and darkness/suffering/dissatisfaction are in the power of the Creator.
Another Kabbalistic work by M. Laitman, "The Comprehension of the Higher Worlds", gives a more adequate statement: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Лайтман,_Михаэль http://www.kabbalah.info/rus/content/view/frame/3182
The reward is called pleasure, and the punishment is called suffering.
A Kabbalist (...) feels the pleasure of being able to receive the light of faith, or the punishment of not having it.
(...)
As previously mentioned (...) spiritual light is a delight (...) its absence is suffering. (...) The more light the Creator fills a person with, and then "takes away", the more badly this person will want this light.
As you can see, these excerpts demonstrate an adequate understanding of the role of the Creator and His powers in controlling His creations through dosing out light and darkness - the carrot and the stick.