Pleasure, purpose and the value of pain
Is happiness the goal or is it the by-product of valuable activities?
Read:
John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism, chapter 2 (higher vs lower pleasures)
https://www.utilitarianism.com/jsmill-utilitarianism.pdf
Robert Nozick: “The Experience Machine” : https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3160/Nozick1.pdf
Case contrast: Would you plug into a perfect-feeling life?
Write your yes/no with two objections.
Helpful Prompts:
- Is a life without struggle still meaningful? Why or why not?
- Would you sacrifice authenticity for perpetual happiness? What’s the cost
- Can growth exist without discomfort? Would you miss the lessons pain teaches?
- Have I ever longed for escape from reality? What triggered that desire, and what held me back?
- Do I value truth more than comfort? Why or why not?
- Would I miss the texture of real life—the unpredictability, the friction, the growth?
Experiment (15min/ day): Replace one low-value pleasure with a skilful, effortful activity; track mood and meaning separately
Journaling Prompt
- Daily: Write 2 lines for each experiment and rate Mood and Meaning from 0 to 10. Anything scoring over 8 or under 3 identify and note the reason for the score.
- Reflect: Which low-effort pleasures leave an aftertaste? Which effortful activities leave a glow – and why?
Ink And Inquiry 