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-depending on which hedonism you mean.
I think the framing of hedonism as merely āpleasure is motivationā is not inherently a bad thing. And self-restraint as a means to achieve pleasure, usually in the long term, is definitely a thing that happens. I think the shift is from ādo what makes you feel goodā (momentary) to ādo what you know is good for youā (substantial, but also can be momentary and overlap with what feels good!) another important differentiation to make, for yourself, is if pleasure is the means to an end or if it is the end.
Personally, I donāt feel guilty for pursuing that which is pleasurable. Iām just a little guy. But I try (and of course sometimes fail) to ensure that the pleasure Iām pursuing is also good, substantial, for me as a human. Even better if itās also good for others.
1d ago
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I donāt think itās good to view yourself as superior to others for your taste in things because we all have our own gifts. on the other hand I donāt think itās productive to attempt to view everything through a myopic moralistic lens, morality can in fact be subjective, thereās nothing wrong with liking what you like, and pretension is often in the eyes of the beholder
Apr 25, 2024
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and thatās the problem, people sometimes lack the nuance thatās essential to well rounded critical thought and engagement. as an hbo prestige television enjoyer, i love a morally gray or even deplorable character as long as the subject material treats the character with the ādonāt condemn OR condoneā mentality. the same goes for literature imo.
its also largely dependent on the context in which the work is being taught (not so much when it was made bc āit was a different timeā usually ends up adding fodder to frustrating arguments). for example, junior year of high school i found it really odd that my white teacher decided to use of mice and men to chastise the use of the n word, to a class of mainly black students. very weird and also not the point of the book (but she got better after this and instilled a lot of good stuff in my brain).
again, not to link this to the arts as a whole, but i feel the separating the art from the artist narrative exacerbates this as well. nothing is wrong with enjoying work from a morally dubious person but i think separating their art from their morals is a weird way of engaging with work. another example: a musician i really loved who was found out to have very off putting (borderline illegal) behavior towards women but from time to time i will play a song for old times sake. however when i listen, oftentimes i realize, yes these ARE the lyrics of a man who does not take rejection well. the work exists in the contexts of the authors morals but you arenāt and donāt need to be waving a flag saying āI CONDONE EVERYTHING IN THIS WORKā.
all in all, a huge key to engaging with classic lit critically is being comfortable with (not sure comfortable is the best term. familiar, maybe?) with gray area and be ready to navigate accordingly.
May 9, 2024
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My friend today asked me an amazing question. He said, āDo you think the avoidance thing is specific to our generation or LA specific? Like is someone in Arkansas thinking about anxiety?ā
Obviously yes someone in Arkansas is thinking of anxiety haha but it made me really think. Our generation is HORRIBLE (me included) at facing shit and taking accountability. Itās all masked underneath this ātherapy talkā shit.
Hear me out. Letās say you have a friend and youāre feeling conflict/tension with them. After a few weeks of them being mean, you confront them about it. Theyāre passive and not addressing their actions. We would INSTANTLY write them off as āAVOIDANTā versus āA friend whoās hurting me by being shitty even if they donāt intend to.ā
And yes, that friend is being āavoidantā. But, thatās a simple write off for behavior. Behavior has been so quickly written off to fit into this Therapy Talk.
Hereās another example: A girl who really likes someone is attaching to them quickly because sheās excited to get to know them and is having so much fun, sheās moving faster than usually and trying to rush commitment. Society would consider her āAnxiously attachedā versus āThis girl is really into this person and itās shifting her choices and actions.ā
I think what iām getting at is, it seems dismissive and avoidant to just simplify these big feelings and actions into these terms when in reality, yes the terms are true. But, we should probably be making space to really talk and express in full detail a persons actions including our own, and get to the bottom of it. The categories can be apart of the larger narrative, but they arent the full reasoning.
I hope this made sense lol
Nov 27, 2024
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