Suffering can be hedonistic

Discussion in 'Hedonism' started by Stabby, Jul 9, 2009.

  1. Stabby

    Stabby Member

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    It would seem that if one were to go one's entire life without suffering, and then all of a sudden be made to suffer greatly, one would experience far more pain than those who have experienced suffering before and have defeated it, growing stronger and more emotionally resilient. Suffering is a part of growing stronger, and can in the end prevent pain. That is not to say that we should go searching for suffering, but when is comes, embrace suffering and pain, overcome it and grow stronger from the experience. It is the hedonist's way.
     
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  2. IpsissimusFaustus

    IpsissimusFaustus Member

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    Not to mention self-righteous religious people who love to suffer because it supposedly adds to their virtue. They may not actively enjoy their suffering, but the enjoy the effects it causes, which is nothing different than hedonism.
     
  3. mastercylinder

    mastercylinder Banned

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    got to pay your dues if u wanna sing the blues and you know it dont come easy---George Harrison---true dat
     
  4. superhobo2332

    superhobo2332 Member

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    Noone enjoys suffering. Simply by the deffinition of the word, if someone is enjoying his self, than he isn't suffering
     
  5. Stabby

    Stabby Member

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    A plague upon you all :)
     
  6. fromthatshow

    fromthatshow Member

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    That is very true.

    I think that in reality suffering is impossible. We choose to react to the world in whatever way we want. If we react angrily to a situation, it's because at some level we want to be angry.
     
  7. Cherea

    Cherea Senior Member

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    This is consistent with Epicurus, and therefore the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
     
  8. Cherea

    Cherea Senior Member

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    Awesome, awesome post. :)
     
  9. sadist

    sadist Banned

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    Everything is hedonistic, sweety.
     
  10. Cherea

    Cherea Senior Member

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    What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.
     
  11. RooRshack

    RooRshack On Sabbatical

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    On this note... I was just reading an essay about how we should all take opiates all day long, and they should be prescribed for psychotherapy for "emotional pain" and the like, and how in a few years we'll be editing the human genome so there's no need for drugs.

    And I realized what a pathetic unthinking excuse for a hedonist the author was. If you where always happy, you would not be happy, if you always felt good, you would not feel good, because these are relative emotions. If one where to truly care about feeling BETTER, they would engineer people who naturally feel WORSE. But I don't think this is possible anyways, because we've evolved, coexisting with drugs (from oxygen to opium) every step of the way, to the ideal hedonistic balance, because hedonism is what keeps people alive. (I don't mean hedonism in the way most people do, I personally feel good and invigorated when I save a stray cat or give money or time to NORML, but all the same, it takes all types)

    /unrelated rant
     
  12. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

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    I agree that suffering is hedonist in nature.

    The evidence can be seen when we suggest there is no cause for suffering.
    A person will defend both tooth and nail, their right to be offended.

    We are intoxicated with sensation.
     
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  13. Cherea

    Cherea Senior Member

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    Agreed.
     
  14. walpole

    walpole Guest

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    We live in a world full of Fear and Suffering. Since we are surrounded by it throughout our lives, we cannot completely banish it from your experience. We can however, control our surrounding to an extent by simplifying our lives and surrounding ourselves with people who remain focused on increasing the pleasure side of the equation while decreasing the pain side. More pleasure and less pain and fear results in happiness and contentment.

    Live Free,
    John
     
  15. ~xR*Z*Nx~

    ~xR*Z*Nx~ Member

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    I agree with thedope, fromthatshow, and the OP. I only experience my self and my creation, that means I always have a choice, that means everything I experience is EXACTLY what I want to experience.
     
  16. Cherea

    Cherea Senior Member

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    I had exactly the same thought a month ago! Thanks a lot for your input! :)
     
  17. willedwill

    willedwill Member

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    Suffering can't be hedonistic, because it means that your friends might agree with it, OR you no longer have any friends and they built their life-style out of ambitions for witches and warlocks literally literate on campus.
     
  18. senseikodan

    senseikodan Guest

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    Enjoying is one of the five maine rings of being, and yes it is possible to be enjoying yourself whilst you are sufering, to feed of the pain and to become imune to it and enjoying it. It is good to not to go to far tho xx
     
  19. willedwill

    willedwill Member

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    What'll people think? Let's suffer that one too. :(
     
  20. meridianwest

    meridianwest Senior Member

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    that is not entirely true. it depends on what the consequences of the suffering are. some people enjoy being the martyr/victim. which makes for psychological/emotional masochism. not to mention explicit pain in a sexual situation is highly enjoyable to some. whether you say then that the person is enjoying suffering, or not suffering at all because he is enjoying it is just word games. in reality it's both things at once.
     

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