Isn't everyone a hedonist?

Discussion in 'Hedonism' started by ali2141, Apr 27, 2012.

  1. ali2141

    ali2141 Guest

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    Even the most modest, self-denying people in the world act that way because they think it's the right way, and get pleasure out of knowing they're doing the right thing. Everyone's just seeking their own happiness and self-fulfillment. Everyone's idea of joy and happiness is different, and we're all striving towards our own individual happinesses. No one accepts sadness, angst, pain and anxiety. It's against human nature. Actually, it's against the nature of all organisms. We all strive to feel good at any given moment.
     
  2. JeffSorrows

    JeffSorrows Member

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    well not exactly, living for self-pleasure in the purest form is quite different, it's like saying everyone is a good person aren't they. They live for the greater good for society, when really they work in societies norms for their own gain. Which isn't good, but good for themselves. So good for yourself isn't always for pleasure, working to get that promotion isn't a pleasure, but is a pleasure having that bonus. It's more of being in the moment of pleasure as soon as possible rather than working for a pleasure later in. Or so as I see it. Though it may piss off a lot of women, and the lies I give to find pleasure in them, and through opiate use from time to time it's more about being and living in it completely. A good example is"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde, someone once mentioned it to me, and seemed pretty well described a true hedonist, if with no restriction (financially mainly) but I've lived quite the same, but got tired of always pleasing myself so much, of course I always enjoy the pleasure of something, but to please others is a lesser pleasure that makes the greater ones more interesting. Also couldn't find many relationships that allowed me to be with multiple women and in random orgies, with or without drugs at anytime around. So giving up the pleasure of anytime for yourself isn't true for everyone especially those in a trusting relationship, as they sacrifice that night out with that young beautiful individual to have a night in, and possibly no ppleasure but the unenjoyment of a dull movie and popcorn made too sweet (or any other situation) so it isn't for everyone, and not for self-sacrifice, unless the sacrifice is the pleasure one recieves, from the sacrifice of the skin, by scarring it for pain and pleasure, or sacrifice of a relationship to be freely with anyone you may choose. Though I never was a perfect hedonist or example of it, that's how I see it. And maybe someone can throw a more pure and better example of how not everyone is. I try to use what most people can relate to. Anyways despite that I'm in a relationship with a beatiful woman, she lets me do 'whatever' I'd like to do, but she is completely loyal to me, sure that's completely self-ish but on the one condition if I bring home any STD or anything transferable to her, then it ends. Which then slows the hedonistic view when I check downstairs on a new encounter before I violate her body, so not fully but almost there. It's really about no restriction no holds or bars, some people live like that, and others try, but can never reach their full potential, so like any religion you can claim it but really truly can never reach it, maybe for a moment but hard for a full lifetime.
     
  3. sunfighter

    sunfighter Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

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    Ann Romney just said about her husband Mitt, "there's a wild and crazy guy" inside. Of course, we haven't seen that, but maybe he's a hedonist, too.
     
  4. newo

    newo Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Saying everyone is a hedonist because they like pleasure is like saying everyone is a glutton because they eat. A hedonist is a fanatic about pleasure seeking.
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. Cherea

    Cherea Senior Member

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    Yep, the only difference is that some enjoy guilt-tripping and partypooping more than others.
     
  6. theangrycanary

    theangrycanary Guest

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    Yes. This is the ultimate truth. Everyone does everything to avoid pain and seek pleasure.

    But people differentiate between emotional and 'spiritual' pleasure, versus drug induced/sexual/sensual pleasure. And they get offended if you point out that helping someone or loving someone or even sacrificing yourself for someone else, you are actually doing it because it makes you feel better.
     
  7. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    i suppose it depends on how narrowly or broadly you define. its actually possible some people might not be. but a majority of hedonism deniers are.

    most fanatics, of every stripe, their very fanatacism is itself a headonistic indulgence.

    amd many people who are openly headonistic are simply being more honest about it.

    but not all of us get the same pleasures out of the same things.

    that's something those on both clouds need to be more aware of.

    and i don't mean that anything as narrow as just erotic and social fetishes either.

    yes i live for what enjoy. and what i enjoy is/would be, a kind of world i believe everyone else can/would enjoy too.

    and that means NOT being so blinded by self interest, as to create the very kind of world that PREVENTS everyone from being able to enjoy it.

    and THAT is the point of every belief, that when it begins to get popular, is the FIRST thing that gets forgotten.
     
  8. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    it is perfectly true that we all live to seek gratification, or at least fulfillment, which is in reality, much the same thing. it is equally true however, that we are all better off, to avoid causing harm. it is for THIS reason, we are compelled, even by our own pursuit of gratification and fulfillment, to take more and other things, into consideration.
     
  9. Okiefreak

    Okiefreak Senior Member

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    If hedonism is to have any use at all as an analytical concept, it can't be used as a synonym for just any human motivation. Of course people do things because they are satisfying or avoid outcomes that they view as undesirable. So what? If we're all hedonists, it might as well be that none of us are. If Mother Teresa was a hedonist because she got turned on serving God and helping the poor, everybody is, but what use then is the concept? Most of us see a difference between her altruistic behavior and that of Hugh Hefner's cult of sensual indulgence. To me, hedonism involves the pursuit of what Buddhists call attachments, generally wealth, status, power, sensual gratification, and/or the avoidance of pain. Defining it to include altruistic satisfaction risks stretching the concept beyond the bounds of usefulness.
     
  10. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    I don't think hedonism necessarily has to involve wealth and status. The "good life" has elements like the opera or suits or fine wine and caviar, stuff I consider mindnumblingly boring.

    Meanwhile, there's the beach. There's also other cultures around the world, rustic living. Bright colors. Spicy food. Indigenous or syncretic religions. Pulsating sounds. Exotic looks. Being down to earth and in touch with the Third World, like by learning a country's language and hanging out with the people, sounds more hedonistic to me than stupid shopping or riding around in an overpriced piece of plastic.
     
  11. Okiefreak

    Okiefreak Senior Member

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    Words, concepts and labels are tools, judged by their usefulness. We can define hedonism in such a way that the satisfaction from serving others is "pleasure". But if we do so, we rob the concept of analytical utility. If everyone is a hedonist, we might as well get rid of the term, which would be a shame, because some folks are definitely more into sensual indulgence than others.
     
  12. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    You don't have to be Charlie Sheen to be a hedonist.

    There are two schools of thought: Aristippus and Epicurus.

    Your description sounds like the former. Are you familiar with the latter. If not, see the video in the thread I started slightly below called Now I Get It.
     

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