By Eliza Sea
Image Credit: E. J. Sullivan drawings, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
This October SHA hosted the conference, Confronting the Unconventional: Sex Work, Trauma, Kink, and More! led by the incredible N. Jasmine Johnson and with a full two days of workshops by lifestyle and industry professionals. One of the workshops, Trauma Informed Consent, led by @glittersaurus.rex, spoke on creating inclusive spaces, unapologetically asking for what you want, the importance of transparency, the process of unlearning, and the term conscious hedonism.
“Dan Savage would remind us all about being GGG – good, giving, and game. So, can we have our cake and eat it too?”
Traditionally, hedonism referred to the pursuit of pleasure in one’s life, however, it has taken on a more judgmental tone in today’s times having connotations of indulgence and happiness derived from debauchery (Merriam-Webster.) By definition, consciousness refers to a quality or state of being aware, particularly within one’s self; Conscious hedonism then, can be defined as the pursuit of pleasure contained and held within the ability, desire, and practice of self awareness. Pleasure should not be seen as indulgent, selfish, or an aspect of self to be shamed but rather something to be nurtured in the boundaries of consent and a practice of continued self reflection; Dan Savage would remind us all about being GGG – good, giving, and game. So, can we have our cake and eat it too? Conscious hedonism would suggest yes, just as long as the ongoing practice of consent is happening.
Hedonism is famously (and historically) portrayed through the writings of the 12th century Persian poet and astronomer, Omar Khayyam. In the translation of his poetry in 1859 The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, hedonism is spoken about through an unapologetic tone and is “a passionate outcry against the unofficial Victorian ideologies of moderation, primness and self-control.” (Krznaric, 2017.) Khayyam, in the original poem, implies the absence of an afterlife, rejecting Christian beliefs (abhorrent at that time) stating that we must live in the moment and enjoy life’s pleasures not through excess but “rather cultivating a sense of presence, and appreciating and enjoying the here and now in the limited time we have on Earth.” (Krznaric, 2017.)
References:
Hedonism. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hedonism
Krznaric, R. (2017, May 23). How 12th century Persian poet Omar Khayyám inspired a hedonistic counterculture in Victorian England. Retrieved October 7, 2020, from https://scroll.in/article/837453/how-12th-century-persian-poet-omar-khayyam-inspired-a-hedonistic-counterculture-in-victorian-england. (First image)
Krznaric, R. (2020, October 15). How 'The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám' inspired Victorian hedonists – Roman Krznaric: Aeon Ideas. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://aeon.co/ideas/how-the-rubaiyat-of-omar-khayyam-inspired-victorian-hedonists
Moore, A. (2013, October 17). Hedonism. Retrieved October 2, 2020, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/
Parenthood, P. (n.d.). What Is Sexual Consent?: Facts About Rape & Sexual Assault. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/relationships/sexual-consent. (Consent image.)
Edited by Alex Whitman
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