Vicarism: Frequently asked questions
Q. Do masochists make good Vicarists?
A. No, Vicarism is not about enjoying others' suffering. (People who do, or who suffer for others' enjoyment, are Schadenfreudeans, an unaffiliated group.) Vicarism is about sharing others' enjoyment.
Q. Isn't Vicarism just an excuse for hedonism?
A. Not at all! Hedonism is about maximizing one's own pleasure. In contrast, Vicarism is about selflessly maximizing others' vicarious enjoyment. Moreover, hedonists are often Spaβtics.
Q. If I do somthing that inspires envy, am I being a good Vicarist?
A. Vicarism is about shared enjoyment. Generally, envy is not an enjoyable emotion. Therefore, acts performed to inspire envy generally are not good Vicarist practices.
Q. How can I find a local group of Vicarists?
A. At present, the only organized group of Vicarists is in Berkeley, California. However, many people practice Vicarism without realizing it. (Often people who set out to do something for their own enjoyment end up contributing to the enjoyment of others. This is "unenlightened unself-interest.") You can often find such protovicarists at ultramarathons, double-century bike rides, or in helicopters, wearing skis. Americans you encounter on foot at high altitudes, in the jungle, in the desert or deep in the ocean are often protovicarists. So are most people with baby strollers or car seats.
Consider founding your own local chapter of Vicarism!
Last modified 4 October 2010. statistics.berkeley.edu/~stark/vicarismFAQ.htm