Robbers, perverts, killers, and tyrants—gather for your inspection their so-called pleasures!
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.34
It’s never great to judge other people, but it’s worth taking a second to investigate how a life dedicated to indulging every whim actually works out. The writer Anne Lamott jokes in Bird by Bird, “Ever wonder what God thinks of money? Just look at the people he gives it to.” The same goes for pleasure. Look at the dictator and his harem filled with plotting, manipulative mistresses. Look how quickly the partying of a young starlet turns to drug addiction and a stalled career.
Ask yourself: Is that really worth it? Is it really that pleasurable?
Consider that when you crave something or contemplate indulging in a “harmless” vice.
* Source: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman