Welcome to the age of decadence without pleasure
5 hours ago
- Modern wealth offers abundant distractions but often results in emptiness and boredom, creating an era of 'decadence without pleasure'.
- Historical decadence, like that of the late 19th century, involved extravagant art and a philosophy of 'useless pleasure' enjoyed for its own sake.
- Contemporary culture mimics decadence superficially (luxury, excess) but subordinates pleasure to optimization and algorithmic stimulation, leading to joylessness.
- Tech elites promote optimization regimes (e.g., Bryan Johnson's anti-aging, looksmaxxing) that treat pleasure as suspect and prioritize self-improvement over sensation.
- Pleasureless decadence trickles down from the wealthy, with inequality turning delights into status symbols and reducing fun to work-like routines.
- AI and algorithms amplify this trend by producing hollow content and fostering dependency, leaching pleasure from language and experience.
- A 'New Decadence' could reclaim everyday pleasures through art and mindful sensation, resisting optimization and reviving embodied joy.