How to think about pleasure

Pleasure, in and of itself, is ‘lower’ than the real heavy hitters, such as truth, wisdom, and God, those hallowed founts of authentic happiness. It is a common notion, even in our own day, that pleasure is in some sense a distraction from happiness – or that it doesn’t lead to the kind of happiness that really matters.

It is hard to say exactly what pleasure is

The sheer variety of ways that people procure pleasure is unsettling, as well as a testament to the plasticity of our species. Though it is a common enough feature of existence, trying to nail down an exact definition is an elusive goal. That makes reflecting upon the nature of pleasure all the more important.

Nature provides pleasure

People have often sought pleasure in nature, whether it be to feel the sublime immensity of the world or to get away from all those dickheads back home.

Taking pleasure in the pleasure of others

This is the most subtle and humankind of pleasure and a sure route to becoming a decent sort of person. It’s been observed that when a child gives a gift to another kid, they themselves become happier.

Philosophers have long been wary of the pleasures of the body

Yet they’ve embraced the pleasures of the mind. Of course, that doesn’t mean they were right. But it’s an important history to keep in mind – even if the categories ‘body’ and ‘mind’ can’t be kept strictly apart.

Pleasure is where pain isn’t

It is true that pleasure is where pain isn’t, at least according to one popular definition that reaches back to Epicurus. It continues to be a useful way of defending the pursuit of pleasure and examining pleasure’s relation to pain.

Source