Self-Rejection, Self-Sacrifice, Self-Denial VS Egoism, Earthly Pleasures, Hedonism

[Belacqua]

Why are the “Self- “ stuff in the thread subject highly encouraged even in a secular environment, while the other 3 stuff are highly discouraged, even in a secular environment,

Very interesting questions, and I fear there is no satisfying answer.

I guess I will stick up for self-denial a little bit. Some kinds of pleasure are more satisfying than others, and to get to them may require discipline. Most ascetics would argue (I think) that their goal is not the elimination of pleasure, but rather a kind of pleasure that lasts -- that isn't dependent on material goods or other people's whims. So denying oneself SOME things is going to get more pleasure in the long run.

To elaborate we all know and live under capitalism, reject/sacrifice/deny self-interests just to pay bills or alternatively please “society”. And if we dare to stroke our ego by rewarding ourselves with hedonistic earthly pleasures (aka hobbies/interests/passions), we’re “greedy” “selfish” “egoistic” or worse “psychopaths”.


Having a job that matches someone’s interests/passions is a pipe dream, think of average joes’ typical boring jobs

You are certainly correct that a money-based society puts a lot of people into jobs that don't yield many benefits even in the long run. If you're slaving away and never getting ahead, this isn't the kind of self-discipline that I am recommending. 

Is “society” just a “secular God” because there’s also a heavy system of pressures, guilt and shame for not keeping up with the many imposed standards, roles, norms. And also perceived rewards for following what it deems desirable approved “status symbols”.

So if we assume there is no God and no fear of divine punishment, I guess we need SOMETHING to teach us to get along with each other. I wouldn't want to live in a society that had NO pressures or guilt or shame, standards or norms. 

But you're right that beyond these necessary guardrails for behavior, society does enforce its rules on us. Every group has its self-appointed conformity enforcers who tell us when we're being (in their eyes) unacceptable. And the things that they consider to be signs of success may not be what you and I want at all. 

We have to be careful here, because while society tells us to deny ourselves, it also determines in many ways what a hedonistic life would look like. That is, all of our ideas come into us through society, we are never detached from it, and this includes the ideas about what a free and hedonistic life would look like.