We are slaves to pleasure

[Oluwamuyiwa]

Nice to see this from your perspective. Thanks for sharing

I am glad you find it interesting.

Kind regards.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Thank you very much for sharing your insights on Nigeria on this and the other thread.

 

[Oluwamuyiwa]

Thank you very much for sharing your insights on Nigeria on this and the other thread.

You are welcome, I am glad to share.
Look forward to sharing more, and learning about other countries and how veganism is perceived within their culture.

 

[FoodMaster777]

There was a time I couldn't say no to a meat-based cuisine, it was what I always craved the most. It made me to patronize local hunters around where I lived, basically giving my support to invade the animal world and kill them just to satisfy my lust for flesh. Honestly, I was a slave to pleasure.

My mother used to say this to me when we had no animal products to support our meals when I was young; 'ability to adjust is part of education'. That saying grew on me, but culture had more influence over me than education did. We Africans have a culture that's built around meat eating, the more chunks of meat you are served at a table, signifies your wealth, prestige and affluence. As a father, you are entitled to 2-3 chunks of meat in a meal, it's a form of respect from the wife to the husband. Giving your husband one chunk of meat is disrespectful and an insult. How then can she be prompted to give no meat to him on the basis of ethical reasons towards animals? It just impossible because most Africans are slaves of pleasure.

Sadly, Africans do not consider the ethical principles involved in the processing of meat. We see animals as a form of gratification, meat consumption transcends just eating it at meals, even after satisfying one's hunger, we still consume it just for pleasure. Pleasure is violent when not controlled, it's like a raging bull mounted by a rider with hopes to subjugate it. Why should we allow pleasure to dominate us? That has always been the cause of every evil act perpetuated against fellow man and animals; pleasure for sex leads to rape, pleasure for taste leads to death, pleasure for money leads to robbery, pleasure for power leads to oppression. Man's problem is lack of control, too weak to not give in to his impulses. Until we start cultivating the habit of controlling our impulses, we would only remain slaves to pleasure.

Now, I don't know much about other places, I can only speak for Nigeria in West Africa. But looking at a lot of vegan restaurants, food companies, and platforms in the states that are putting the hard work to produce plant-based products as alternatives to animal products, I can say embracing vegan lifestyle could be pretty easy over there. Some might tell me, it sure doesn't taste the same, but what has the taste got to do for you so long as it's nutritious, it just shows that you still a slave to pleasure.

I would round up with a saying my older brother and I used to console ourselves, when others had more tasty food than us to satiate their pleasure;

"It would all end in the toilet"

Peace & Love
Cyril

I agree but I don´t like your pesimistic approach, you are your own counter argument. If pleasure for food leads to death how come you and so many people are able to overcome it? There´s also a big difference between death and raping since the first is a passive activity and the second is active. The 99% of males are not rapists, so maybe if each of us had to kill our own food there would be a 99% of vegetarian population.

 

[Oluwamuyiwa]

I agree but I don´t like your pesimistic approach, you are your own counter argument. If pleasure for food leads to death how come you and so many people are able to overcome it? There´s also a big difference between death and raping since the first is a passive activity and the second is active. The 99% of males are not rapists, so maybe if each of us had to kill our own food there would be a 99% of vegetarian population.

Maybe I am pessimistic, look around you, there's nothing new under the sun, so what's so glorious about life. I never claim to have overcome pleasure, it's an ongoing battle I face daily, it's a battle I would carry to my grave. Now, whether you eat meat or not, death is the final destination, doesn't that then paints the picture that pleasure for food leads to death, isn't that the common fate of all men even if you eat or you don't?

I noticed you keep twisting words you don't seem to understand, you could have asked for clarification, I would be glad to expound on my words rather that my words be taken out of context. We are not here to prove whose right or wrong, we are here to inform, educate and motivate one another. If you feel a paragraph needs addition information to be clarified, please feel free to drop your own opinion without the need to discredit another's opinion. No one can learn that way, and we all are learning most especially me.

I check the news in my country daily, and rape is rampant and on the high side. I have sat down to think deeply on such actions, as to why man would result in such violent act against another human. I came to a realization that it was pleasure. Remember, all my opinions are based off my experiences, I used to crave sex when I was living a wild life. But I always controlled the urge never to rape anyone even though I sought out the pleasure I got from sex. This is where I am coming from, it's from my perspective.

Do share yours from an unbiased view, I will appreciate it.

 

[FoodMaster777]

I check the news in my country daily, and rape is rampant and on the high side. I have sat down to think deeply on such actions, as to why man would result in such violent act against another human. I came to a realization that it was pleasure. Remember, all my opinions are based off my experiences, I used to crave sex when I was living a wild life. But I always controlled the urge never to rape anyone even though I sought out the pleasure I got from sex. This is where I am coming from, it's from my perspective.

But that was exactly my point, you can get pleasure from sex and not be a rapist, you can even crave for sex and not rape anybody, that´s the general rule. What leads to these evils isn´t the existance of pleasure and temptation, it´s the lack of morals. Maybe I didn´t express myself correctly.

 

[Oluwamuyiwa]

Now I understand what context you are driving at, we are definitely saying the same thing. Upholding morals is the reason why we resist the urge to commit crimes, and I am not insinuating that pleasure is bad and should be avoided totally. I am only stating an observation that if we allow the craving of pleasure to dominate us, we would then be slaves to pleasure.

It's a general rule as you said, but not everyone complies to such moral rule, now I was directing my thoughts towards those that flout such moral rules. I agree with you also that the existence of pleasure and temptation isn't evil, it's the lack of control and restraint that makes man become a slave to pleasure.

 

[FredVegrox]

We still are inclined to do things according to pleasure we anticipate. We learn more and more what sorts to really avoid for the negative things with those. But still, there are still other pleasures being anticipate that we choose for, anyway. We don't fully get away from that. But we can take on more altruistic tendency in our choices and behavior.

 

[Lou]

We still are inclined to do things according to pleasure we anticipate. We learn more and more what sorts to really avoid for the negative things with those. But still, there are still other pleasures being anticipate that we choose for, anyway. We don't fully get away from that. But we can take on more altruistic tendency in our choices and behavior.

HA!!

I remember when I was studying ethics in college, there was an author who postulated that altruism does not exist. When we do altruistic things it's because of the pleasure it gives us. (that warm feeling we get when we do something good). So even altruism is basically selfish.



oh, wait. here is something like that.

Why Altruism is Selfish: Psychology Explains the Paradox

Understanding the “benefit of giving” would improve social outcomes. Hence, thinking about the social effect of our choices is relevant when selfishness is aimed at maximizing the received value with the effect of positively impacting the people around us.

insight.openexo.com

 

[Col]

I have been thinking about this quite a bit and this kind of ‘pleasure’ described seems to me to be something that has a burden of guilt, when the ‘pleasure’ is over for example. The pleasure I wish for is a pleasure without pain, a free and true pleasure.
I do not claim to always possess this each day but it is something for me that transcends other sensations - without hurting others or animals - this could be one of the greatest pleasures!
Is this a realistic pleasure for you?