Non-Hedonistic Egoism

Hedonism is usually defined as a disposition that seeks to avoid pain and suffering, and that positions personal physical pleasures superior to all other possible goals.

I also place “selfish” pleasure above all else, but wish to carefully qualify this by first commenting on human nature, then on the taxonomy of pleasure and pain.

Humans are subject to what might be called the creep of discontent. The individual who has been living in the comfort of a villa yearns for the adventure of the jungle, while those who have been long in the jungle yearn for the comfort of the villa. The same conditions yield different pleasure values over time. The deeper the discontent in setting A, the greater the euphoria when there is a transition to desired setting B.

As an example, when I first began to live in the mountains of Mexico, I was elated by the demands of survival and self-sufficiency. However, after 4 or 5 months, I began to feel a bit homesick for the amenities of electricity and plumbing. Now, after having lived in Tokyo for 10 years, the mountains of Mexico again have a considerable appeal.

Often the elation is unexpected. I experienced two and a half years of seemingly endless depression after my divorce which suddenly and surprisingly gave way to an intense euphoria when I began to explore and adopt a new identity.