Pain and suffering are necessary for a meaningful life. It sounds like the motto of every masochist, but it’s actually according to Yale professor Paul Bloom. In this Guardian article, plugging his book, he makes the case against hedonism.
I argue that we don’t only seek pleasure, we also want to live meaningful lives– – and this involves willingly experiencing pain, anxiety, and struggle. We see value in chosen suffering.
I’ve not read the book, and these short newspaper articles can be misleading, but it seems odd to talk about pleasure and suffering without bringing masochism into it. People may not consciously identify that way, but lots of mainstream activities – like intense sports and exercise – lean into that dynamic. I identify strongly as a hedonist, which for me means indulging in both the pleasure and pain of life.
Hedonism is about satisfying desires. Satisfying simple desires does indeed get boring. Eat, drink and be merry is fine for a night or two, but quickly drags when it’s a full time occupation. Indulging your complex desires is where it gets interesting. That’s where you need the full dynamic range of human experience. Are people looking for meaning? Or just complexity?
This lady seems to have introduced a great deal of meaning into her slaves life.
Based on this page, I believe this is Mistress Eve Himuro, shot by Kazuki Suzuki for the Kitagawa series.
