I have so much empathy that it ruins my mental health. Even just reading about news and suffering worldwide ruins my mood for days and weeks. I feel like it is morally wrong to be happy because suffering exists, thus I don't enjoy myself. Also, most things fun was considered bad by my Christian upbringing. Materialism is bad, suffering good.
How to become a selfish person and also someone who engages in hedonism? Please recommend books saying being selfish is okay and being a hedonist okay, and how to get away from "suffering is noble" mindset and allows me to be okay with materialism and pleasure.
by No_Button5279
2 Comments
There’s a book called How to be Perfect that’s a really funny tour through moral philosophy.
In that book, he introduces the concept of being a happiness pump, which I would definitely look into, and why that’s not necessarily a “good” way of existing in the world. I’d also recommend the first section about Virtue Ethics. I don’t think you’ll get tricked by reading a book that says “selfishness is good”, but I think you might be convinced that this is not a good way to live by reading about why previous moral philosophers have not thought this was good.
slightly unethical, but extreme horror will desensitise you, reducing your empathy by proxy