Hedonism & Happiness

Writing and Graphic by Arella Warren, Deputy Editor

The United States was founded in part on the belief that every person has the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”1 With images and advertisements showcasing the luxury of material goods, consumerism has never before been as closely linked with this pursuit of well-being and satisfaction. However, this culture of hedonism may actually inhibit our psychological ability to find happiness in our lives.

Happiness Ethics

Hedonism is a school of ethics from the 4th-century B.C.E which states that the highest good in the world is maximizing pleasure.2 Hedonic happiness prioritizes momentary, sensual comforts and places the ego’s desire at the center of morality. While it’s important to respect our desires, the hedonic approach suggests that our desires should take priority over all else, feeding into a self-centered mindset of over-indulgence. Eudaimonia, on the other hand, refers to the idea of living for the greatest good. Aristotle proposed eudaimonic ethics in direct contrast to hedonism. He critiqued the idea that we should live “happily,” since it is not a sustainable or long-term state.3 Instead, wisdom holds that the ultimate goal should be leading a good life, tailoring our actions to

¹ “Declaration of Independence,” U.S. National Archives, accessed Feb. 2022. ² “Hedonism,” Philosophy Basics, accessed Feb. 2022. ³ Nat Rutherford, “Why our pursuit of happiness may be flawed,” BBC, Jan. 2021. do what is best for our spirit and human flourishing.4 Eudaimonia provides a ground between individual gains and virtuous responsibilities.

From Eudaimonia to Hedonism

Suffering and hardships were viewed as largely inevitable for the majority of history.5 Without access to modern-day resources, people had little time for pursuing pleasures, and happiness was mainly a product of chance.6 In such a world, the best people could do was live with virtue and utility.7 As Western society progressed, and we entered the 18th century age of romanticism, hedonism came to the forefront. Suddenly, the focus shifted away from philosophical reflection and religious observation toward simply enjoying the sensations of the moment.8 This coincided with the rise of aestheticism, a movement that rejects virtue in favor of beauty, personal fulfillment and living without concern for consequence. Oscar Wilde, one of the best-known writers of the aesthetic movement, explores both the highs and perils of the aesthetic lifestyle in his famous novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Through the self-indulgent protagonist, Wilde illustrates how pure aestheticism, or the unmoderated pursuit of desire, is not only superficial—it actually leads

⁴ Ibid. ⁵ John Lanchester, “Pursuing Happiness,” The New Yorker, Feb. 19, 2006. ⁶ Ibid. ⁷ Ibid. ⁸ Steven Cahn & Christine Vitrano, “Happiness: Classic & Contemporary Readings,” New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. us to embrace immoral behaviors with grave ramifications.9

The Pleasure Paradox

We would be wise to honor Wilde’s critique of aesthetic philosophy, as the culture of hedonism we’ve fallen victim to has not improved our overall net happiness—especially as it coincides with the rise of digital media.10 By framing happiness as a sensation, hedonism implies that we must draw dopamine from every moment in order to “be a happy person.” Modern scholars and ancient philosophers have voiced concern over a critical paradox here: desiring nothing other than pleasure prevents us from actually experiencing pleasure.11 By hyper focusing on the pursuit, we get stuck on a hedonic treadmill: always searching, yet never satisfied.

Ending the Pursuit

In order to advance toward a more successful social model, we have to recognize that immediacy isn’t the same as satisfaction. It’s an unrealistic view that drives people to endlessly seek out the “better.” The further we move from the desperate chase and the closer we get to cultivating a sense of balance, the better off we will all be.

⁹ Patrick Duggan, “The Conflict Between Aestheticism and Morality in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Boston University, accessed Feb. 2022. 10 Jean Twenge, “The Sad State of Happiness in the United States and the Role of Digital Media,” The World Happiness Report, March 20, 2019. 11 “Hedonism,” Philosophy Basics, accessed Feb. 2022.

This requires taking a step back from social ideals. Western institutions operate along a scarcity-minded approach that encourages competition and social comparisons, and in turn, makes us feel inadequate about ourselves. We should instead opt for an abundance-oriented approach, asserting that there’s room for everybody in society to advance their self-worth and happiness.12 Once we remove our self-worth from our perceived social standing—which, in America, is so often based on material comforts, riches and luxury goods—we will find more satisfaction in the things we value.13 It isn’t enough to just identify our values, though; satisfaction only comes when we actively make time for them. As Vanderkam points out, when someone says they don’t have time for something, they’re often saying it’s not a priority.14 Modern technology and social media pull us into an addictive dopamine loop,15 prompting us to endlessly seek out momentary gratification. If we can start targeting and boxing in the “feel good” distractions, we can live more purposefully and better prioritize our tasks, making time for both the life goals and personal pleasures that matter most to us.

Knapp and Zeratsky offer a great list of techniques for using time mindfully in their book “Make Time.” Their four-

12 Joe Pinsker, “Why So Many Smart People Aren’t Happy,” The Atlantic, April 26, 2016. 13 Ibid. 14 Laura Vanderkam, “How to gain control of your free time,” TEDWomen, Oct. 2016. 15 Trevor Haynes, “Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A battle for your time,” Science in the News - Harvard University, accessed Feb. 2022. step model includes identifying a highlight activity that you want to achieve by the end of each day; removing distractions to get into laser focus mode; taking care of your wellbeing by doing things to create more energy; and systematically tracking the process through journaling or scheduling.16 By blocking out your calendar hour-byhour, you can see how you’re actually using your time, and where you can implement changes to make space for your desires. Some scholars are even turning to ancient wisdom to propose that meditating on our depression and impending demise actually emphasizes happiness. That is, being aware and present to moments of suffering can prompt us to let go of some of our attachments to the material world and influence us to live more purposely in the present.17 In fact, Buddha, master of Zen, taught that we can release ourselves from human suffering by releasing our material desires and attachments, simply being at one with ourselves.18

Happiness shouldn’t be this grand, luxurious pursuit that society makes it out as. Not every moment has to be flooded with pleasure for us to feel content with our accomplishments and experiences. Fostering the Zen mentality and meeting ourselves where we are at allows us to appreciate the smaller moments for what

16 John Zeratsky & Jake Knapp, “Make Time,” New York, 2018. 17 Arthur Brooks, “To Be Happier, Start Thinking More About Your Death,” The New York Times, Jan. 9, 2016. 18 “What did the Buddha mean by suffering?” Tricycle, accessed Feb. 2022. they are, even the seemingly mundane ones.

Finding Purpose

Whether one chooses to physically consume happiness through sex, drugs or food, purchases it through material goods, seeks it in self-help and wellness, or looks to external forces, modern research offers an old solution: The best way to consume and create a happier life is to live with a prosocial purpose.19 That is, living in a way that promotes social welfare and eudaimonic values.

Hedonic happiness is not inherently bad, but it can’t be the end goal. Studies demonstrate that life satisfaction isn’t really about feeling happy but doing things that align with our values and virtues.20 By taking the time to do things for others and adjust our own behavior to be more altruistic, we create better outcomes for our relationships, our communities, our world and ourselves.

Doing something little every day for the greater good—be it picking up a piece of trash, giving a dollar to charity or expressing gratitude for someone you love–may just be the key to broadening your happiness and making the world a better place. ■

19 Christine Whelan, “The Big Picture: A Guide to Finding Your Purpose in Life,” West Conshohocken: Templeton Press, 2016. 20 Min-Ah Lee, “The keys to happiness: Associations between personal values regarding core life domains and happiness in South Korea,” Plos One, Jan. 9, 2019.