We are a culture saturated in sex, from marketing to print
media, to entertainment to sex toys to porn. But to me the real issue is not
sex, but pleasure. We work, not for the value of work, but for the money to buy
pleasure. Shopping is pleasure. Vacations are for pleasure. Partying is
pleasure. We need ever more leisure time for pleasure. We get lots of messages
that tell us we deserve all this pleasure.
Pleasure is not in and of itself bad, of course. But it has
become disconnected from disciplined effort and intellectual engagement.
Pleasure has come to mean mindless activity and has taken the place of the
responsible duties of a citizen and maturing person. Pleasure has separated
itself from the activities of the mind, the job and the compassionate heart.
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