Our society loves to indulge in the Hedonistic approach to happiness. Today's society believes that happiness is the sum total of pleasure experienced during one's lifetime. We use phrases such as YOLO, meaning 'you only live once.' We hear these phrases on the radio. Bon Jovi sings "it's my life, it's now or never, I ain't gonna live forever." The rappers Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg, in their song "Young, Wild, and Free," sing 'So what we get drunk, so what we smoke weed, we're just having fun, and we don't care who sees.' And there are numerous other examples. Almost every other song on the radio has some sort of phrase that essentially promotes the point that we need to live our lives to the fullest because we only live once. None of the songs or saying worry about the consequences that might come from partying all the time or never taking anything in life seriously. Celebrities in the magazines are shown partying, binge drinking, snorting crack, and I can guarantee that they aren't worried about getting arrested or going to jail. All they care about is all the money they have and that they can pretty much do whatever they want with it. These celebrities are who we are watching and looking up to. Whether we realize it or not, they are our examples and this Hedonistic approach that seems so appealing now is going to be what our children believe and will determine how they grow up.
I do not agree with the approach to life when it's taken too literally. I enjoy having a good time just like everyone else but at the end of the day I still know my responsibilities and I have my goals in mind. Another reason I don't buy in to our societies gimmicks is because of my religion. I am LDS and we believe that our time here on Earth is so insignificant and is just a small portion of who we are. We believe that when we die, we go to heaven, so the term YOLO isn't exactly correct because we don't 'only live once,' we continue to live for eternity. Believing what I believe has made a significant difference in my life. My little brother passed away only a few months ago and I'm comforted in the fact that I will be able to see him again, knowing that he did 'only live once' but that he is alive somewhere else, watching and waiting for me and the rest of my family to join him. I would have to say my outlook on happiness is a cross between Stoicism and Epicureanism. I am able to enjoy myself and experience in please but I do so in a way that I know isn't harmful or unsafe and that bad things are going to happen and there is going to be sadness but we will always be able to overcome it if we are prepared.
