How hedonism is the only way to live a valuable life

[MozartLink]

There are many arguments out there to support hedonism (the idea that physical pleasure and the avoidance of pain) is the only thing of value in life. But I will present to you my own personal argument. Our good feelings (physical pleasure) are the only things that truly drive our actions aside from those types of actions driven by fear, hate, jealousy, etc.

Take, for example, sexual acts. The only way a person can engage in those types of acts that a horny person would is if he/she has his/her feelings of sexual arousal. In other words, he/she has to feel horny; otherwise, having sex would be a futile exercise. If he/she had complete anhedonia (absence of pleasure), then if he/she were to attempt to engage in those sexual activities, tones, acts, and gestures anyway, then these expressions would now be completely devoid.

They would be acts that are not driven at all. The person would report that sex would be pointless and meaningless now without his/her sexual feelings. Feelings are the sole drive behind all our actions. Acts, tones, and gestures without their associated feelings to drive them would be completely devoid expressions just like this example I gave with the anhedonic person engaging in sex.

Imagine if you performed enraged acts, tones, and gestures without actually feeling angry. You would report back that those said expressions were completely devoid and pointless. You would report back that it was like performing enraged expressions for no reason at all out of the blue. Now here is where I am going to point out to you how the only way your life can be valuable and worth living to you.

Living life, pursuing your dreams, engaging in hobbies, being there for someone, living for someone, helping someone, making the world a better place, etc. all require their associated feelings to drive said expressions. Otherwise, these expressions would be pointless. Your life would be of no value without these feelings to drive those expressions. Your life would not be worth living at all.

Living life, exploring nature, pursuing discoveries, pursing a goal, dream, or hobby requires a feeling of motivation, inspiration, or enjoyment. Otherwise, if you had complete anhedonia or if you struggled with depression, then doing these activities should be of no value to you. They should be completely pointless and devoid activities. If you somehow thought that they would be of value to you anyway and would somehow make your life worth living anyway, then you would be wrong. You would only be delusional and fooling yourself here.

Lastly, I think neuroscience even backs up this whole claim of mine. The reward system of our brains is what is responsible for our feelings of love, joy, and motivation. These feelings are not just simply pleasant and good feelings. We need these feelings to drive us to live life. Those who struggle with depression or anhedonia are the very unfortunate ones. They have no reason to live. Their lives cannot be meaningful and worth living at all.

These people would only be fooling themselves to think otherwise. Or they could be experiencing a very small amount of these good feelings in their lives to keep them going. Their reward system might have at least some function to still preserve and maintain at least some drive to live. Otherwise, having complete and utter depression or anhedonia should render one's life not worth living at all.

[Terrapin Station]

Tackling one thing at a time here:

Take, for example, sexual acts. The only way a person can engage in those types of acts that a horny person would is if he/she has his/her feelings of sexual arousal.

First off, one can engage in sex, physically, whether one has feelings of sexual arousal or not.

If we're talking about intercourse, males need to be erect enough to allow penetration, but that can obtain physically without the man needing to be aroused (psychologically). But we don't have to be talking about intercourse involving a male.

If he/she had complete anhedonia (absence of pleasure), then if he/she were to attempt to engage in those sexual activities, tones, acts, and gestures anyway, then these expressions would now be completely devoid

So one could engage in sexual activity without being sexually aroused, and one could intentionally engage in sexual activity for points/purposes/"meanings" other than sexual arousal. For example, one might simply want to have a child. Or one might want something else a person could offer and feel that sex is a means of manipulating that person. There are all sorts of possible reasons.

Also, just in general, valuing, having "points," purposes, meanings, etc. are all subjective. They're simply a matter of people being in particular psychological states. And one can be in those states with respect to a very wide variety of things.

[TSBU]

You should start by saying what do you understand by hedonism, in the way you say it, it's just impossible not being an hedonist.
But don't worry, it's that way with every definition given about how to live life.

[A_Seagull]

Hedonism is the only way that anybody lives.