My Ode to Pleasure in a Random, Delicious Universe

Let’s get one thing straight, I’m not here for the cold, calculating grind of hustle culture…..

……..I’m here for ripe mango slices dripping down my wrist on a warm afternoon.

………I’m here for a well-aged bottle of red, my fingertips tracing circles on the back of my lover (where is she?), and a jazz solo that makes your whole body exhale.

I’m here, in other words, for the Epicurean life—and it turns out, so is the Tao.

Epicureanism gets a bad rap, mostly because people mistake it for gluttony. They hear “pleasure” and think of all-night parties and binge-worthy debauchery. But Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher behind it all, wasn’t pushing for orgies and orgiastic consumption. He was whispering something much more refined…

Pleasure is the absence of pain. Tranquility is the height of pleasure. A soft bed. A good friend. A quiet mind. That’s the real Epicurean feast.

And here’s where things get spicy. 🌶️ His worldview is grounded in atoms and void—random collisions in a vast cosmic soup. There’s no divine plan. No angry god with a thunderbolt. Just particles bumping, bouncing, converging into what we call “life.” In other words, we’re stardust, baby. Gloriously accidental, gloriously alive.

This worldview might sound bleak to some. But for me, it’s liberating. Because if life isn’t scripted, then every moment is an unrepeatable miracle. That means I don’t owe anyone a performance. I can sip my tea slowly, listen to music like it’s from Miles Davis, and revel in the simple eroticism of existence.

And who else got this? Well, my good brotha Lao Tzu.

Taoism and Epicureanism are distant cousins at the pleasure table. While Epicurus encourages us to minimize anxiety by embracing the randomness of the cosmos, Taoism tells us to stop resisting the flow. Wu wei—effortless action—isn’t just about “doing nothing.” It’s about knowing that the universe isn’t your enemy, so you can finally take a damn nap without guilt.

Both philosophies are rebellions against striving. Epicurus said, “Don’t fear death, don’t chase fame, and don’t trust the gods to save you.” Lao Tzu says, “Stop trying. Just be.” Strip away the robes and the scrolls, and what you have is an invitation to indulge—consciously, simply, deeply.

So what does this mean for you, dear reader?

It means your craving for beauty, rest, connection, and delicious moments isn’t shallow. It’s sacred. You don’t have to transcend your body—you have to listen to it. Get curious about what brings you joy, not in the fleeting dopamine hit sense, but in the warm, rooted hum of pleasure that lingers long after the party ends.

Find your Epicurean rhythm:

• Take a slow walk at twilight without headphones.
  
  

• Make a meal with your hands, no shortcuts.
  
  

• Touch someone you love and really be there.
  
  

• Read poetry under the covers.
  
  

• Savor silence the way others chase sound.

In a world of existential dread and algorithmic manipulation, this might be the most rebellious act of all — to live fully, richly, deliciously, in a universe that owes us nothing—and gives us everything anyway.

You don’t need to be perfect.

You don’t need to fix the world.

You just need to be alive in it.

Pleasure, presence, poetry—that’s the new holy trinity.

Epicurus didn’t believe in cosmic meaning. Neither, really, did Lao Tzu. But both believed in the art of living. Both knew that even in a random, swirling chaos, there can be beauty. Meaning isn’t imposed—it’s composed, note by note, bite by bite, kiss by kiss.

So here I am, sipping something sweet, belly full, body humming with the rhythm of a random universe while writing this piece. And I’ve never felt more divine.

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Diamond Michael Scott

aka The Chocolate Taoist