Hedonism
noun
A belief that seeking pleasure is the most important thing in life.
His life of hedonism left him feeling unfulfilled and empty.
noun
In philosophy, a theory that pleasure is the highest good or proper aim of life.
Epicurus is a well known ancient philosopher who proposed hedonism as an ethical theory.
Usage tips
Academic
noun
Devotion to pleasure as a way of life.
The island resort is a place of sheer hedonism.
Often appears as...
- pursue hedonism
- embrace hedonism
noun
A belief that seeking pleasure is the most important thing in life.
His life of hedonism left him feeling unfulfilled and empty.
noun
In philosophy, a theory that pleasure is the highest good or proper aim of life.
Epicurus is a well known ancient philosopher who proposed hedonism as an ethical theory.
Usage tips
Academic
noun
Devotion to pleasure as a way of life.
The island resort is a place of sheer hedonism.
Often appears as...
- pursue hedonism
- embrace hedonism
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Pursuit Emphasis
Highlights the action of seeking pleasure actively, rather than passively experiencing it.
He dedicated his retirement to hedonism, attending every party he could find.
Pro Tip 2/3Often Negative
Can imply a selfish or shallow lifestyle lacking depth or long-term fulfillment.
Her hedonism at college cost her important friendships and opportunities.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Connotation
Carries emotional weight, often comes with a sense of judgment or disapproval.
His parents disapproved of his hedonism and urged him to focus on his career.
Pro Tip 1/3Pursuit Emphasis
Highlights the action of seeking pleasure actively, rather than passively experiencing it.
He dedicated his retirement to hedonism, attending every party he could find.
Pro Tip 2/3Often Negative
Can imply a selfish or shallow lifestyle lacking depth or long-term fulfillment.
Her hedonism at college cost her important friendships and opportunities.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Connotation
Carries emotional weight, often comes with a sense of judgment or disapproval.
His parents disapproved of his hedonism and urged him to focus on his career.
Pro Tip 1/3Pursuit Emphasis
Highlights the action of seeking pleasure actively, rather than passively experiencing it.
He dedicated his retirement to hedonism, attending every party he could find.
Pro Tip 2/3Often Negative
Can imply a selfish or shallow lifestyle lacking depth or long-term fulfillment.
Her hedonism at college cost her important friendships and opportunities.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Connotation
Carries emotional weight, often comes with a sense of judgment or disapproval.
His parents disapproved of his hedonism and urged him to focus on his career.
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Video examples
Evgeny Morozov: How the...
is when it comes to digital natives, people who have grown up online. We often hear about cyber activism, how people are getting more active because of the Internet. Rarely hear about cyber hedonism, for example, how people are becoming passive. Why? Because they somehow assume that the Internet is going to be the catalyst of change
Video examples
Would you opt for a life...
Limitless pleasure minus zero pain equals maximum net pleasure, or in other words, the exact scenario the Experience Machine offers. Therefore, if hedonism is your philosophy of choice, plugging in would be a no-brainer. But what if there's more to life than just pleasure?
Video examples
Evgeny Morozov: How the...
is when it comes to digital natives, people who have grown up online. We often hear about cyber activism, how people are getting more active because of the Internet. Rarely hear about cyber hedonism, for example, how people are becoming passive. Why? Because they somehow assume that the Internet is going to be the catalyst of change
Video examples
Would you opt for a life...
Limitless pleasure minus zero pain equals maximum net pleasure, or in other words, the exact scenario the Experience Machine offers. Therefore, if hedonism is your philosophy of choice, plugging in would be a no-brainer. But what if there's more to life than just pleasure?
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Ha-Joon Chang
South Korean Economist
Gone are the days when the upper classes were terrified of the angry mob wanting to smash their skulls and confiscate their properties. Now their biggest enemy is the army of lazy bums, whose lifestyle of indolence and hedonism, financed by crippling taxes on the rich, is sucking the lifeblood out of the economy.
Quote examples
Beth Moore
American Author
The history of New Orleans was always a fascination to me - such a blend of light and darkness and plague and pleasure and hedonism and fear and death. It's just a very, very intriguing city. I have this strange love relationship with it.
Quote examples
Orlando Bloom
English Actor
I think it's important if you are an actor, if you are portraying human life, you have to connect with what is human. It's not easy if you spend a lot of time in L.A. and get sucked into the hedonism of the industry.
Quote examples
Steve Coogan
British Comedian
When I was a student I was very, very ambitious, completely immersed in my comedy career. I never had that period of reckless hedonism that you should get out of your system in your youth.
Quote examples
Danny Meyer
American Businessman
I'm a big believer that you can try to change the world based on philosophy, doctrine, and belief. But I think the thing that really drives the world is hedonism, the pleasure factor.
Quote examples
Joan Didion
American Author
It kills me when people talk about California hedonism. Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento.
Quote examples
Jon Hopkins
English Musician
A night out isn't just chaos and hedonism. It can be beautiful as well and there's a sadness to the end of it.
Quote examples
Italo Calvino
Italian Journalist
I do not understand how you can associate abortion with an idea of hedonism or the good life.
Quote examples
Simon Le Bon
English Musician
I succumbed to hedonism.
Quote examples
Ha-Joon Chang
South Korean Economist
Gone are the days when the upper classes were terrified of the angry mob wanting to smash their skulls and confiscate their properties. Now their biggest enemy is the army of lazy bums, whose lifestyle of indolence and hedonism, financed by crippling taxes on the rich, is sucking the lifeblood out of the economy.
Quote examples
Beth Moore
American Author
The history of New Orleans was always a fascination to me - such a blend of light and darkness and plague and pleasure and hedonism and fear and death. It's just a very, very intriguing city. I have this strange love relationship with it.
Quote examples
Orlando Bloom
English Actor
I think it's important if you are an actor, if you are portraying human life, you have to connect with what is human. It's not easy if you spend a lot of time in L.A. and get sucked into the hedonism of the industry.
Quote examples
Steve Coogan
British Comedian
When I was a student I was very, very ambitious, completely immersed in my comedy career. I never had that period of reckless hedonism that you should get out of your system in your youth.
Quote examples
Danny Meyer
American Businessman
I'm a big believer that you can try to change the world based on philosophy, doctrine, and belief. But I think the thing that really drives the world is hedonism, the pleasure factor.
Quote examples
Joan Didion
American Author
It kills me when people talk about California hedonism. Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento.
Quote examples
Jon Hopkins
English Musician
A night out isn't just chaos and hedonism. It can be beautiful as well and there's a sadness to the end of it.
Quote examples
Italo Calvino
Italian Journalist
I do not understand how you can associate abortion with an idea of hedonism or the good life.
Quote examples
Simon Le Bon
English Musician
I succumbed to hedonism.
Example 1 of 9
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