"no-pleasure" Worth Seeking?

[Edvard]

Does it make sense in the long run to completely cut out candy, chips and cakes, which I love? Or would I be better off getting the cravings out of the system once in a while?

For some time now, I have been considering to in the end commit to a goal of cutting out everything that gives pleasurable sensations tending to create cravings (and that to smaller or bigger degree is negative for my health), and atm I'm eating candy and chips about once a week, on average. After having gotten my weekly dose of it, I'm usually doing quite well for some days, until cravings start to arise at the end of the week. If I suppress these feelings beyond the weekend I may eventually burst out, buying insane amounts of candy on impulse because I'm not thinking rationally. It gets especially dangerous if I go into a shop while hungry. 

The point is that by cutting out these pleasures completely, I fear missing out on something, while at the same time thinking about what @Leo Gura has been saying, that this also is what creates the suffering and the illusion of existing. Addictions, like even thinking itself is something we crave because of the fear of emptyness, which the ego can't stand. My first question is therefore: is emptyness really nice, if you know what I mean? Is for instance, emptyness with no pleasures in the end a goal of yours? 

The second thing I wonder about is: do you think it's worth it for me to actually not attain any of these pleasures, ever? Or am I missing out on something? Because that's how it feels, but I also know it's counter-intuitive. I also fear that this may hurt my concentration abilities, and since I'm stuying at a University, those cravings are gonna get really distracting, especially if I do no-fap too (does that make sense, BTW? I've heard ejaculating regularly is positive for health (like reducing cancer risk))... 

I'll add that these are not relatively big problems of mine (no-fap would be the biggest obstacle for me, and this topic I actually find quite problematic), I'm less addicted to candy than most people I know, in addition to being skinny and athletic. Nevertheless, I'm aware that these are addictions that are creating some problems, and I'm contemplating whether getting rid of all external pleasures in the end will make me much happier. I do often fall back to some bad habits, although less now than before, and I'm trying to be really conscious of them, thinking about getting rid of all addictions altogether, which will require some suffering and emotional labour in the short term - and hopefully it will be worth it in the long run... or?

Any advice would be much appreciated

Edited August 26, 2017 by Edvard

[Damir Elezi]

Personally I think that it is not necessary to cut out anything because nothing is good or bad by itself. If you are addicted to something and notice that it hurts you, I'd try to keep away from it until you don't need it any more. If you don't need it, there is no danger and you can consume it again, but all that should be icing on the cake, not a necessity.

I Personally believe that life should be experienced without strict restrictions. Cut out what harms you. What's important is that you are mindful of what you consume and how your system reacts to it.

[Edvard]

32 minutes ago, Damir Elezi said:

I'd try to keep away from it until you don't need it any more. If you don't need it, there is no danger and you can consume it again, but all that should be icing on the cake, not a necessity.

Makes sense, although it's a little paradoxical, because why would you consume anything that's not optimal for your health if you don't need it? And one also have to define need. I feel that I need candy once in a while, but if my life depended on it, I'm pretty sure I would be able to not consume it ever. It's a little like waking up. I guess you can define an addiction if only external motivations will make you stop an addiction. For example, I have struggled with being addicted to stay in bed in the morning, but I still made it through one year of mandatory military service. Then of course, I didn't really have any choice. Once I finished, and I went four months without working, the day and night cycle was going all over the place until I've somewhat managed to discipline this now at university. But that's also an external motivation, that has a relatively short term consequence if I don't wake up. When I'm not working, I know I'm better off waking up early in the long run, but waking up late any isolated day will not have any immidiate consequence, so then it's easy to end up never creating the positive habit, thereby I could say I'm addicted. If I'm not addicted, then I won't need it - but is it possible not to want pleasurable things? Because if you like pleasurable things - how can you be happy with a lack of it? Only by not needing it, as far as I can see, but if you don't need it, and it's unhealthy, why would you consume it? IF it's possible to completely get rid of any cravings from a source of pleasure.

Edited August 26, 2017 by Edvard

[Damir Elezi]

Sure, that's exactly the point. If you don't need it any more, you probably won't consume it any more anyway. That's a conscious decision and I am in favor of that. What I am not in favor of is cutting stuff off forever even though you like it and it betters your mood. At least that's my opinion