Responsible hedonism. Although hedonism refers to the concept of seeking
pleasure and avoiding pain, responsible hedonism concerns maintaining pleasure
over the long term by avoiding short-term pleasures that lead to pain, such as
drug abuse and alcohol addiction. Ellis believes that people are often extremely
hedonistic but need to focus on long-range rather than short-range hedonism
(Dryden & Ellis, 2001; Ellis, 1985, 1987a, 1988, 2001c, 2001d; Ellis & Dryden,
1997; Walen, DiGiuseppe, & Wessler, 1980). Although REBT does not tell people
what to enjoy, its practitioners believe that enjoyment is a major goal in life. This
point of view does not lead to irresponsible behavior because individuals with a
responsible attitude toward hedonism think through the consequences of their
behavior on others as well as on themselves. Manipulating and exploiting others
is not in the long-range interest of individuals. An example of Ellis’s attention to
hedonism is his work directed at irrational beliefs that people have regarding
sexuality that interfere with their experience of sexual pleasure. His many books
on the subject are a way of promoting responsible hedonism.