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Should one seek pleasure?

Yes, provided that, alongside the pursuit of pleasure, one also incorporates a dimension of ego mastery and the pursuit of minimalism.

Furthermore, one must sort through pleasures and prioritize the simpler ones. See on this subject the dimension of 'feelings' discussed in the answer to the question 'How to succeed in life?'.

The hedonistic illusion

When the pursuit of pleasure is no longer accompanied by a pursuit of minimalism, but rather by a search for the most intense sensations, one slips into hedonism. Although glorified in capitalist society, particularly in advertising, this approach presents several problems:

•	The need for intense pleasures is often a sign that they serve to mask a deep inner discomfort. Seeking to satisfy this need is like trying to keep the lid on, rather than seeking to identify and address the underlying unease. One makes no progress.

•	When the same pleasure is repeated, a phenomenon of habituation occurs; therefore, ever greater sensations are required to obtain the same pleasure, as with certain drugs.

•	Pursuing more sophisticated pleasures requires higher financial means, which thus encourages a shift toward material success as the primary goal. The main tool to achieve this is the interplay of alliances, and consequently the stress associated with it.

Pleasure leads to happiness only insofar as it helps us move forward. Pleasure does not transform into happiness through accumulation.

Frustration

Frustration is an indispensable element of psychic life, which limits the fulfillment of pleasure. Without accepted frustration, savagery would rule human relations, most often taking the form of the law of the strongest.

Quotes

Epicurus, Maxime Capital VIII: 'No pleasure is in itself evil; but the causes that produce certain pleasures bring in addition far more numerous disturbances than the pleasures themselves.'

Further exploration

Consult the following questions:
Should one listen to one's emotions?
Why must one master one's ego?
Why is minimalism desirable?
How to succeed in life?
Also consult the classification of pleasures proposed by the philosopher Epicurus.

Chapter 22 'Citizenship, Education and Philosophy' in the book From Capital to Reason contrasts hedonistic pleasure with ataractic pleasure.

Regarding hedonism, see the film The Great Feast by Marco Ferreri.

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