If I mention the word “pleasure” what is the first thing that come to your mind? Isn’t it sex? If so, isn’t immorality and guilt the first thing we associate sex with? Why are we afraid of pleasure?
It is human to enjoy life, and a good life implies body and soul satisfaction. It is natural to associate body pleasure with food, drink or sex. Moreover, it is only in the later that body and soul can melt into one so as to live a good life.
Why do people consider this as immoral? My aunt used to say that “everything I like is either immoral or make me fat”, isn´t it a clear connection between pleasure and guilt? Generally, having sex is one of the freer decisions we can make and we usually feel guilty about that. It is a common believe that if we decide to do it we must be responsible for it.
Actually, we are not afraid of pleasure in itself but we are afraid of being responsible for our own decision since they may bring about several consequences (i.e. strong bounds through sex or the abuses over others). So this leads us to the relation that Savater makes between responsibility and freedom, the former can not exist without the later.
Everything we have discussed so far has to two different impacts on our teaching. Firstly, me need to consider our learners as human being with needs of pleasure and we, teachers, are the ones likely to guide them through making “responsible” decisions. Finally, we need to bear in mind that in our own lives we are to be responsible for our own decision, even if we are afraid of them.
It is human to enjoy life, and a good life implies body and soul satisfaction. It is natural to associate body pleasure with food, drink or sex. Moreover, it is only in the later that body and soul can melt into one so as to live a good life.
Why do people consider this as immoral? My aunt used to say that “everything I like is either immoral or make me fat”, isn´t it a clear connection between pleasure and guilt? Generally, having sex is one of the freer decisions we can make and we usually feel guilty about that. It is a common believe that if we decide to do it we must be responsible for it.
Actually, we are not afraid of pleasure in itself but we are afraid of being responsible for our own decision since they may bring about several consequences (i.e. strong bounds through sex or the abuses over others). So this leads us to the relation that Savater makes between responsibility and freedom, the former can not exist without the later.
Everything we have discussed so far has to two different impacts on our teaching. Firstly, me need to consider our learners as human being with needs of pleasure and we, teachers, are the ones likely to guide them through making “responsible” decisions. Finally, we need to bear in mind that in our own lives we are to be responsible for our own decision, even if we are afraid of them.
8 comments:
Several ideas rolling in my mind after reading this entry of yours, Yoha!
Number one: I agree with you most people are not "afraid of pleasure" in itself... I think what frightens many of us is the price we might have to pay for it... As if we had learned to believe that we don't have a right to enjoy life (only a duty to suffer it!), and that living an enjoyable moment will mean abusing of our opportunities, something to be "severely punished" sooner or later..
It'd be great to find out if anyone reading this blog shares my feelings on this!
*Number two: I like the point you make about true pleasure being good not only for our body, but for our mind and soul at the same time... and I'd like to add (after Savater) that it'd mean pleasure not only today but also in the long run...Perhaps this is what we should teach our youngsters, more than the "inmorality of bodily pleasures" previous generations have advocated?
*Number three: I just loved your statement that "teachers are to remembers learners need pleasure". I'll do my best to bear that in mind when I face my classes next time, and keep working so that they can satisfy that need!
Big hug,
Gladys
I do agree with both of you. It is so true this question of associating pleasure with guilt. Why? I wonder... Where have we learnt that from...? I also believe we humans sometimes walk on the edge of the limit between what is part of our "good living" and what can harm others. According to what Savater says, it is ethical to consider other's matters as ours and for if we hurt others in order to live our good life... it is not "ethical." Have I got Savater's point???
Dear Yohi,
This is me Muhanned(Shrarh) from sudan again. sorry for being late.
In our community you can't say "sex" If you did you'll be guilty.
Really, our religion deny the sex without legit contract between the man and the woman.
So the pleasure means a good living conditions only not more .
I don't know if this right or wrong but we should be commitment with our cultures.
I think you've got Savater's point, Silvia: living our lives ethically involves as much thinking of our own pleasure as of others'...
I'd love to hear more from Muhanned, if it's not too late to ask him: what would you be guilty of by mentioning the word "sex" in your community? In our culture, the term "sex" can refer to either just "sexual intercourse", or to "making love"... I hope I'm making myself clear, it's not easy, and in a foreign language!!!!
Having been brought up as a Catholic, I'm aware this culture strongly discourages "sex without a solid bond between the man and the woman", and my hunch is all religions do... Now, what cultures allow the idea of "pleasure" to share the concept of "sex", even in the case of "legally formalized couples"??? It'd be interesting if we had the chance to hear from more cultures on this, don't you think?
I hope, Muhanned, we're not offending you with this discussion... Please understand we mean well...
Love,
Gladys
Hi people! It has been ages since I've been here due to my eye problem but I'm back!!!!
Thanks all for starting this discussion in here, and thanks Muhanned to share your culture view point with us.
I guess that I was misunderstood in the gist I extracted from Savaters. I consider that pleasure must take into account body, soul and mind, what I tried to criticize is that in my culture the first thing that comes to our minds when we mention pleasure is sex, and I consider that pleasure is not only THAT but much more.
I hope we can keep on sharing our ideas, and Muhanned, please, we don't men to offend your culture, we are just sharing what ours believes.
Keep on thinking people!!!!
LOL
Yohi
What a nice discussion there's here!! I think that things vary from culture to culture... so what happens in Sudan with sex is not "good or bad," it's just different. Sometimes what's different frightens us as, at times, we can't even understand our culture so how can we understand other people's cultures??
Love,
Andre
You are right Andy.... How can we undertand other cultures if more often than not we ensure that we don't understand ourselves????
Let's try to figure this out.
LOL
Yohi
Perhaps we can gain a better understanding of ourselves by learning to understand others? Perhaps that's what Foreign Language Teachers work for?
Just posing questions...
Gladys
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