Since we’re all getting deep and philosophical in here... I’m curious to know how you guys feel about my personal take on things. My whole philosophy boils down to this one goal for being HERE: pure entertainment.
And honestly, whatever happens along the way—if I happen to help someone out, great; if I don't, also great...
Honestly, I don't get it. To me, true peak hedonism is just living life on your own terms without any unnecessary stress. Sure, you can find little bits of happiness here and there, but that’s not the big picture.
The goal has to be something just out of reach. You know, something that feels close enough to touch, but you realize you might never actually arrive. The journey itself should be the ultimate high.
If your main objective is simply to have a good time, and you’re actually succeeding at that—meaning you’re genuinely enjoying yourself—then everything is perfectly fine 👍
If you're feeling inspired, feel free to read a little snippet from Richard Bach’s book "Illusion" and see how it connects to our discussion.
(Honestly, if your posts here aren't primarily entertaining you first, and then maybe someone else second, then what's even the point? Life works the same way.)
------------------------- The book opens with a story about a teacher living in the World of Illusion, trying his best to explain the truth to the people around him:
He told them, “Within every single one of us lies the power to reconcile ourselves with health and sickness, with wealth and poverty, with freedom and bondage. We alone hold the deciding vote, not anyone else.”
A miller steps forward and says, “That’s easy for you to say, teacher, since you know the path we don't, and you don't have to deal with the grind like the rest of us. In this world, a man has to work just to survive.”
The teacher responds, “There once lived creatures at the bottom of a vast, clear river.
The current flowed quietly over them —young and old, rich and poor, good and bad, the current moved along its own course, following only its crystal flow.
Every creature, in its own way, held tight to the twigs and stones on the riverbed, because that was simply life, and resisting the flow was something they learned from the moment they were born.
Eventually, one creature said, “I’ve had enough of this life. Even if I can't fully trust my own eyes, I believe that the river knows where it's going. I’m going to let go and let it take me wherever it wants. If I keep clinging like this, I’ll die of pure boredom.”
The others laughed and cried out, “You fool! If you let go, the very current you respect will toss you around and smash you against the rocks, and then you’ll die much faster than from boredom!”
But he, without a second thought, took a breath and let go, and immediately after, the current tossed him and battered him against the rocks.
However, over time, since the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him from the bottom, and it stopped hitting him or wounding him.
And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, shouted, “Look, a miracle! A creature just like us, but it flies! The Messiah has arrived to save us all!”
But the creature being carried by the current said, “I am no Messiah, nor are any of you. The river will gladly lift us up and set us free, if we just dare to surrender to it. Our true purpose is this journey, this adventure!”
But they kept shouting, “The Savior!” as they huddled close against the rocks, and when they looked again, he was gone, leaving them alone to spin legends about the Savior.
Then came the day when the teacher realized the crowd was weighing on him more and more every day, growing heavier and more intense than ever before. He realized they were forcing him to tirelessly heal them and satisfy their hunger, always with new miracles, so that he would teach them and live their lives for them. So, he headed out alone to the top of a lonely hill to pray.
And he said in his heart, “It would be infinitely bright, if it were Your will, to pull me from this fate and free me from this impossible task. I cannot live the life of another soul, yet ten thousand of them are begging me for life. Forgive me for letting all this happen. If it is Your will, let me return to my tools and my machines and let me live like an ordinary person.”
And a voice spoke from the peak of the hill, a voice neither male nor female, neither loud nor soft, a voice of infinite gentleness. And the voice said to him, “Not My will, but yours shall be, for your will is one and the same as Mine. Go your way like everyone else and be happy in this world.”
Hearing this, the teacher was moved, gave thanks, and started heading down humming some little mechanic's tune. And when the crowd pressed in with their sorrows, begging him to heal them and teach them and to constantly feed them with his understanding, He performs his miracles just to keep them entertained, turning to the crowd with a gentle smile and saying softly, “I’m stepping down.”
In an instant, the massive crowd falls into a stunned silence, completely awestruck.
Then he poses this question to them, “If a person were to tell God that their greatest desire is to help this broken world, regardless of any personal cost, and God told them exactly what steps to take, would that person be obligated to follow through?”
“Absolutely, teacher!” the people shout back. “If God asks it, even if it meant enduring hellish torment, it would be worth it!”
“No matter how much suffering comes, or how impossible the task seems?”
“To be crucified, to find honor in being nailed to a tree and burned alive—if that is God's will—it would be an honor,” they replied.
“But what would you actually do,” the teacher asked the crowd, “if God looked you straight in the eye and said: “I command you to be happy while you are still alive.” What would you do then?
The whole group went silent, not a single whisper or sound could be heard across the hills and valleys where they had gathered.
Then the teacher turned to the suffering masses, “On the path to finding true happiness, we will encounter the very lessons for which we chose this life in the first place. That is exactly what I have learned today, and now I leave you to go your own way, as you see fit.”
And so he walked away through the crowd, leaving them behind to return to the everyday world of people and machines.
Entertainment is supposedly the whole point. But here’s the real question: what does it actually take to achieve that kind of genuine fun—the kind where nothing gets in the way? For someone purely self-absorbed, the requirements are minimal; however, for a real person (which most people aren't), the bar is set much higher. That's why finding true, unadulterated enjoyment is such an uphill battle.
Hold on a second. What actually counts as "fun"? Is it just that state where you stop worrying about life entirely? Or is it when everything feels incredibly cozy and comfortable? If it's the first one, you’re basically just wasting your life. If it's the second, then our brains are operating on a pretty basic, flawed principle: we only register change. It feels great when things shift for the better, sure. But that constant upward trajectory can't last forever. Eventually, the momentum stops, and then things start heading downhill. A life built on that kind of logic is fundamentally unsustainable. Honestly, it’s pointless.
Think about it like eating a piece of candy. Even if it tastes amazing, once that initial sugar rush starts to fade, you end up feeling a massive crash because everything was so perfect just a moment ago.
Things can get pretty hilarious in here—honestly, even the little arguments that pop up are usually just funny. Since I have a bit of a mischievous streak and love stirring the pot just to see people react, I'm having a total blast.
Works for me. Look at hikers: some just want to be out on the trail, while others are obsessed with hitting the summit. I’m definitely one of the first types. 😉
jadetinker85 said:I’m totally fine with it. Look at hikers: some do it for the love of the trail, while others just want to check a summit off their list. I definitely fall into the first group. 😉
👍 I don't get those other people at all... you can hike on a stationary bike for all I care... the goal is met once the clock hits X hours, right? 😁 😁 😁
Fargo folks under 1) don't need to reach the peak to enjoy the mountains... but when you actually make it to the top, it’s a hell of a lot better than just checking a box. 🙂.
I can accept the idea of pleasure being an end goal... I consider myself a hedonist, but... a true hedonist... And a real hedonist doesn't just indulge in everything blindly. The thing is, hedonism only truly qualifies as such if your actions don't result in suffering. Since you're experienced in seeking enjoyment, you know exactly what will harm you and what will actually benefit you. So, you enjoy things with a sense of reason: doing what you love and what brings you joy, but ensuring it isn't destructive at the same time. Take drugs, for example. A true hedonist would approach them rationally—perhaps once every six months or even once a year. Before that, they would research the substance thoroughly and experiment with different ways of experiencing it. They wouldn't touch anything that creates immediate dependency, like heroin. For them, the substance serves as a tool to explore higher states of consciousness or for pure recreation, rather than acting as an escape from reality or a path toward self-destruction. It’s about avoiding those negative consequences. Inexperienced, irrational hedonists chase pleasure regardless of the fallout. They take a drug, they like it, and then they say, "Hey, this feels great, let's do it again. And again. And again..." They fall into addiction, and suddenly, the fun stops being fun... It becomes desperate. If someone tells me that's what hedonism is, then I'm not a hedonist. Generally speaking, I don't use any drugs. Not yet. I plan to start only after I turn 18, with the specific intention of exploring my own consciousness and understanding how I function... I have no intention of using anything on a frequent basis, nor do I intend to try cocaine or heroin... I'm mostly interested in hallucinogens. But even so, having pleasure as the sole and ultimate goal isn't quite right for me. Fun alone doesn't feel like a high enough purpose. To me, that feels somewhat... animalistic, and as humans, we should probably strive for something more meaningful than that...
Sioni said:Since we're all getting deep and philosophical here... I'm curious, how much do you guys buy into my personal code? My whole reason for being HERE is pretty simple: pure entertainment.
If someone happens to benefit from it along the way—hey, that's a win. If they don't? Well, even better.
