“The deprivation of physical sensory pleasure is the principle root cause of violence.”
"Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence" (1975)
"Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence" (1975)
“The deprivation of physical sensory pleasure is the principle root cause of violence.”
"Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence" (1975)
Benedetto Croce, The Philosophy of Giambattista Vico. trans. R. G. Collingwood, London 1923.
Source: The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
How to be happy though rich or poor (1930)
Source: The Analects, Chapter VI
"Women and the Myth of Consumerism", Ramparts (1969) http://fair-use.org/ellen-willis/women-and-the-myth-of-consumerism
Context: Under present conditions, people are preoccupied with consumer goods not because they are brainwashed but because buying is the one pleasurable activity not only permitted but actively encouraged by our rulers. The pleasure of eating an ice cream cone may be minor compared to the pleasure of meaningful, autonomous work, but the former is easily available and the latter is not. A poor family would undoubtedly rather have a decent apartment than a new TV, but since they are unlikely to get the apartment, what is to be gained by not getting the TV?