Welcome to Heed the Hedonist!

Greetings, dear readers.

Welcome to the launch of my new web log, Heed the Hedonist. What the heck does the word hedonist mean, some of you may ask?

Hedonists adhere to the principles of hedonism.  The origins of the word hedonism come from the Greek word hēdonē (Ἡδονή), which means pleasure (“delight” (ἡδονισμός hēdonismos from ἡδονή hēdonē “pleasure”, a cognate of English sweet + suffix -ισμός -ismos). Simply put, hedonists are those who enjoy pleasure, be it emotionally or through the senses – and who doesn’t enjoy pleasure? Hedonism is more than that: it’s also a philosophy, an ethical doctrine that holds that only what is pleasant or results in pleasure is intrinsically good.  The highest good, in fact.  Epicureanism is a branch of hedonism that adheres to a simple life of tranquility and security, free of pain and fear.  Although an admirable goal, far from a realistic one.

For it’s true that life is a journey – often an unpredictable one made up of unpleasantries – so why not make that journey as pleasant as possible? And not just for yourself (not talking egoistic hedonism, here), but for everyone and everything around you, be they in your inner circle of family and friends, down the block, around the world, or the Earth itself.

Thus the name Heed the Hedonist.

It is my hope that you enjoy this blog – enough to visit it optimistically and often.