Pleasure Trap
With the questions in the first quarter of the blog, I invite you to reflect on your habits and behaviors in relation to pleasure and to consider whether they align with your values and goals.
What matters to you and how do you want to spend your time? Are you mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or binge-watching Netflix for the sake of pleasure, or is there something deeper driving your actions? What comes to your mind when you think of what you want from life? A partner, a family, money, or traveling the world? Whatever it is if it's a thing you don't want the thing you want how the thing makes you feel. “You don't want the Million Dollars you want what the Million Dollars can buy and how these things make you feel.” Just as you don't want the girlfriend or sex, you want how the girlfriend or sex makes you feel. That's mainly the reason why men masturbate, the same goes for women. We purely act on how we feel or how something makes us feel in the moment. Welcome to this world filled with pleasure traps. Once you dive into it it's hard to get out of it. But what if you could coexist in this world? What would that look like? From a psychological and philosophical point of view.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that coexisting in a world filled with pleasure traps involves developing a sense of mindfulness and awareness around our behaviors and the motivations that drive them.
At the same time, we would need to recognize the role that pleasure plays in our lives. Epicurus was a philosopher who believed that pleasure was the highest good in life. However, he also believed that true pleasure comes from living a life of moderation and simplicity, and that excessive pleasure-seeking can actually be harmful to our well-being. Another philosopher Aristotle believed in the concept of eudaimonia, which can be translated as "happiness." He believed that true happiness comes from living a life of purpose, and that pleasure is only one component of this. Modern psychologists seem to share these constructs of thought over 2000 years later. All highlight the importance of finding a balance between pleasure and purpose. While pleasure can be an important component of happiness, it is not enough on its own. True fulfillment comes from living a life that is aligned with values and goals, and that provides us with a sense of meaning. This may involve finding healthy ways to satisfy desires and passions, while also being mindful of the potential risks and downsides. Rather than blindly following impulses and cravings for pleasure, we can take a step back and examine whether the things we consume and the actions we take align with our values and aspirations. For example, we might ask ourselves whether binge-watching Netflix shows is really bringing us closer to our goals, or whether it's simply a way of avoiding uncomfortable emotions or stress.
By developing awareness and mindfulness around pleasure, we can start to make more intentional choices. This might involve cultivating healthier habits, and seeking out activities and social circles that bring us real fulfillment. This may involve setting goals, prioritizing our time, and being disciplined in our actions.