Please note that I have no philosophy background.

I think a lot about how to live a good life. By “good”, I do not mean in the moral sense, but rather in the “selfish” sense. That is, what causes me to enjoy life the most, or, at the very least, to not resent life?

The obvious, naïve answer is hedonism. Depending on the definition of Hedonism used, I either agree or disagree. If you mean that everything people do should be for their own benefit, I agree. If you mean that the only benefit is pleasure, that is, those things that increase dopamine (video games, sex, TV, good food, etc…), I disagree. I disagree because this second perspective of hedonism assumes an incorrect model of a human. I hold it as true that humans require more than materials to be happy - they require connections with others, as well. Far from other people being a means to an end, other people are ends in themselves.

This is because the brain is wired for social interaction. There are a number of evolutionary reasons for this. First, in order to find a mate, humans must be a part of a society. Secondly, in order for offspring to survive, a mother needs to have a relationship with her child, and, ideally, with her husband. Thirdly, society provides safety.