Is pleasure the point of life?

[diplomatic_lie]

It seems that everything we do is for our personal pleasure. Even supposedly "unselfish" acts such as donating to charity or helping our neighbours is for pleasure - it makes us feel better.

Personally, I'm pretty sick of all those philosophies and ideals floating around. Communism, fascism, Descartes, Christianity. I'm starting to see a better world if everyone would just life their lives without worrying about all this sh*t, and try to help themselves for a change!

 

[earthshyne]

Oh oh... looks like another Republican has raised it's head...

There is hope! I, too, was once as you! But you must find your own way out of the rugged individualist mire.

Good luck!

 

[Climax]

w00t

Dude... just live life! Stop worrying about that bullsh!t


Laterz...

 

[rgeere]

Originally posted by diplomatic_lie
It seems that everything we do is for our personal pleasure. Even supposedly "unselfish" acts such as donating to charity or helping our neighbours is for pleasure - it makes us feel better.

Personally, I'm pretty sick of all those philosophies and ideals floating around. Communism, fascism, Descartes, Christianity. I'm starting to see a better world if everyone would just life their lives without worrying about all this sh*t, and try to help themselves for a change!

It doesn't matter what you are and what you believe, if you arn't a good person ... you will only feel as much mysery as you cause yourself and others.

 

[CableLight]

That which you are stems from that which you do...

 

[Vincent]

Originally posted by CableLight
That which you are stems from that which you do...

wow. just wow.

who's that from?

 

[Dominus]

I don't know, I get seriously ****ed over everytime I do the right thing, and I keep doing it. Its not pleasure, but honor.

 

[red sky30]

The selfish drive is the strongest drive we have I think.

Truely Altruistic people have something really special going for them, cause the ID's driviing me to go feel good at any cost whatsoever to anyone.

 

[CableLight]

Originally posted by Vincent
wow. just wow.

who's that from?

<shrug> Just made it up.

 

[Brak86]

For anyone that is interested in a philosophy lesson:

Emerson says to till your own plot of ground, but society has pressured people to not follow their own passions; instead, our culture applauds the traditional, society-approved ambitions (ie: making a lot of money, marriage and having a family with kids, doing an occupation that pays well etc). We, in a sense, then lose a sense of who we are and we arent happy when we do what society approves.


Emerson questions the belief that "the good will be rewarded in heaven, the evil will be punished in hell." He moreso believes that if you lkive a life of sin, THAT IS your punishment. You will not be happy in that life. He asks "is the saintly life the best one?" He also says that the man who lives a ****ty life creates heaven so he will be rewarded in the after life. Enough of philosophy now

As for me, i will do exactly what emerson encourages: to till my own plot. I do think that self-pleasure does sometimes come from helping other people.

 

[Joe The Homophobe]

the point of life = work hard and make a lot of money and save while you're young so you can retire young and live well when you're old.

 

[baz]

Originally posted by Joe The Homophobe
the point of life = work hard and make a lot of money and save while you're young so you can retire young and live well when you're old.

I hope your joking.

 

[Joe The Homophobe]

Originally posted by baz
I hope your joking.

no, unless you are looking forward to working till you're very old and struggling to survive on short income when you get old.

better to work hard when you're young since you have energy and health, save a lot of money and retire young.

 

[Dominus]

Originally posted by baz
I hope your joking.

Heaven forbid somebody have a totally practical and utilitarian attitude towards life. Why, if everyone was that shallow, why, why...

well, probably alot more would get done. Horrors of horrors!

 

[Dominus]

Originally posted by Sazuki
I think the roman empire fell partly/mostly because it become very hedonistic.

Yeah, the Roman Empire, which was notorious for the orgies of Caligula at its height, and the piety of its Christian Emperors at its twilight, fell because of hedonism.

It was economic, political problems, combined with population pressures from the Germanic tribes. Besides, the urbanized (and therefore, likely more hedonistic) parts of the Empire lasted another millenia.

 

[CapiCrimini]

Thought I'd drop in for a second, realized it's been a while. I was going to comment on the ST8OR or whatver his names thread was until I realized it was a year old, might have been intresting, but chnces are I already did respond to it a while back....

I'm starting to see a better world if everyone would just life their lives without worrying about all this sh*t, and try to help themselves for a change!

Not sure what your going against, the start talked about ditching philosophies, but then you just threw out a philosophy everyone should live instead[tricky bastard]. If they try to help themselves it would have to be for pain I assume[which isn't normally considered help], as they wouldn't be allowed to do anything to make themselves happy or they would be in the pursuit of pleasure.

Maybe you would be satisfied with everyone killing themselves. If everyone is dead there would be no problems?

 

[Dominus]

Originally posted by Sazuki
But does that prove that hedonism is the point of life?

And your probably right about the demise of their empire I dont know much about romans, my example wasn't a good one.

lol, its my field of interest, I just couldn't resist an opportunity to show off.