Too Much Pleasure Is Pain

As the whole world knows by now, Liam Payne, former member of the boy band One Direction, died last week. Although it is not yet known, and probably will never be known exactly what happened during his final moments. It is believed that he was heavily inebriated and intoxicated prior to his death.

I don't usually like talking about topical events, but given that this could be and probably is, at least in part, mental health related, it would be disningenous of me to not discuss the topic with caution and sensitivity.

It is obvious that the level of fame and notoriety that the members of One Direction would have experienced at such a young age would have brought along plenty of advantages. Money, attention, power, all things that many people are striving for in life.

Unfortunately, the potential downsides of this lifestyle could be seen to be just as potent, if not more.

However, the downside that I believe to be the most significant and potentially damaging, is the aftermath of when the attention and fame begins to dwindle and fade. This is when, I believe, all the aspects of yourself and the unconscious rattlings that were once being drowned out by all the noise surrounding you, start to creep back into your life and consciousness. This is when things could get really difficult.

As I believe they did for Liam.

There are other aspects of Liam’s life that could have led to him feeling how he did, they are complicated and nuanced and therefore I'm not going to delve into them in this blog. Suffice to say, that he had a complicated personal life and suffered from a myriad of difficulties.

The point that I’m really trying to emphasise is the discrepancy between the level of adoration and fame he experienced and the incremental loss of this ‘pleasure’ inducing state of being. This potentially could have arisen because of the increased popularity of other band members, as well as the degree to which fame compromised his relationships.

Life stops for nobody, and we can all empathise with life's ability to oscillate intensely from one feeling to another. Navigating this oscillation can be exceptionally difficult, especially if you invest too heavily into either state. Unfortunately, too many celebrities find themselves in that position. They lose themselves to drugs and alcohol, and the hedonism that once entertained them, begins to damage them.

We may never know the full extent of Liam’s suffering, and however morbidly unfortunate it is, hopefully this can move the needle towards a greater understanding of the puppet like existence that many celebrities experience and it's dangers.

Until next time,

Ollie