How do you get your kicks? There is more than one road to pleasure, not just the one that goes via wanton, filthy self-destruction, walked with legs akimbo while grabbing fistfuls of drugs (though, in the current ages you'd be forgiven for not having noticed). There are many possibilities for living life to the full, the thread of which is simply the importance of please itself.

It's a case of identifying what works for you: whether that means simple pleasures, guilty pleasures or carnal ones; altruism or even religious ecstasy. The pursuit of pleasure is about not just raging highs, but of quiet contentment and the refreshing power of variety. Asked to compile an anthology entitled A Hedonist's Guide to Life, I went for a pluralist take; less versus more, clean versus dirty. After all, hardcore hedonism uses a lot oxygen.

It would be disingenuous to deny that sex, drugs and rampant drunkenness are, for some, a path to spiritual enlightenment. To get sky-high and unshackle our inhibitions is to enable a journey of self-discovery; travelling in the dusty corners of our consciousness can be edifying and enriching. The enlightened hedonist knows there is more out there.

Hedonism makes us happy. To be euphoric and on the edge is to kiss joy in flight. Everyone should be free to taste that. Here is a pick from the high priests of pleasure.

Back