Imagine a hedonist and describe what you see. Most of you will give a description of a person sitting in a dark nightclub, drunk and high, throwing money around. If your image of a hedonist looks about the same, here are a few things about hedonism you should know.
Hedonism has a bad rep because it’s often confused with debauchery and is seen as something that will ruin you physically, mentally and financially. However, true hedonism is actually very good for both your health and your wallet. So, what are the ideas behind good hedonism and how can you use it in order to improve the quality of your life?
Define happiness
In order to explain hedonism, we have to define happiness first. This is a hard task because happiness is very subjective and for different people it can mean a different thing. However, there are some common traits of happiness. Although many people perceive happiness to be equal to hedonism, it lies in the pleasures that indulge the mind and satisfy our ambitions, such as power, money or fame. For many, the pursuit of happiness is a never-ending race for material things as they buy bigger homes, faster cars and get bigger paychecks. This is at its core a paradox which states that happiness can never be achieved. But, scientists came to a conclusion that the aspect of life that brings us the most happiness is love. Good social relations and requited love are what makes us ultimately happy. When you mix that with a grain of good hedonism, you get a recipe for a happy life.
Pursuit of hedonism
We mentioned “good hedonism” a couple of times already, but what is it exactly? Philosophers define good hedonism as the pursuit of higher goals in life. Simply put, good hedonism is much more than just a momentary pleasure of the body without any value for the future. Good hedonism, for instance, includes the pursuit of financial stability, the pursuit of your life’s goals or simply a desire to improve yourself as a human being. On the other hand, bad hedonism requires immediate pleasures that will not bring permanent joy. However, nothing in life is ever black or white, and one must always have balance between these two types of hedonism. For instance, sometimes you want to work hard, skip breaks and save up money to book a flight to your favorite destination. This will allow you more comfort, better service, and an overall better flying experience, just like this blog post says. However, it also means more work for your body and mind. Other times, just taking a day off work is enough to be happy…it all depends on you. So, your pursuit of hedonism should be balanced and moderate in order to manage to achieve the things you want in life.
Hedonism at home
Our living space affects us greatly and it also tells the story of who we are to everyone who visits our home. That’s why your home has to be comfortable and tailored to your personal needs, wishes and lifestyle. A true hedonist always strives to get the home of their dreams, even if that means living in less than ideal circumstances for the time being. Some people dream of looking stylish even when showering, while others are happy to sacrifice style for comfort. You can also expect your living space to change, so be ready to keep adjusting it as your needs, desires and lifestyle also change over time. This is an integral part of the pursuit of happiness and hedonism.
It doesn’t matter what it is that makes you happy, you shouldn’t be ashamed to pursue it, as long as you don’t harm others. And of course, always strive for the highest form of happiness and hedonism which is love, the strongest force in the universe.
This post was written in collaboration with Lauren Webber. Lauren is a mommy, lover of sweets, former HR professional and a voracious writer on her blog DaintyMom. You can find her taking selfies with Eve, running with Taffy or doing head stands.
