Quotes And Wisdom From King Playboy Himself

We all know who that famous face belonged, and while some of us might have hated him, many loved and respected him for his achievements and contributions to the sexual revolution. Hugh Hefner was the man behind the bunny. He is also remembered as a sexual pioneer.

"My greatest pleasure is, apart from romantic love, any sort of sexuality."

-Hugh Hefner

As the founder of Playboy, Hugh Hefner was a sexual pioneer whose views on sexuality were, for the most part, decades ahead of his time. Growing up in a puritanical household where displays of affection weren't the norm, Hefner advocated for sexual freedom throughout his career as a publisher. Hefner went up against the right-wing Christians and liberal feminists of the world along the way. Before passing, Hefner was quoted as saying he hoped people would remember him as "someone who had some positive impact on the sociosexual values of his time."

Some Wisdom From The King Of Sexuality

While Hefner was a pioneer in publishing and challenged the social norms, fostering a more open and healthy view of sexuality, he left behind the wisdom of someone decades ahead of his time. The visionary had views, that while some might disagree with, are still a hard pill to swallow for evangelical types and puritans. Hefner's wisdom was well beyond the early 21st century when you look at the world with which we're still stuck.

"Women have traditionally been either put on pedestals or damned as the source of all sexual temptation and sin. These are two sides of the same coin, since both place women in a nonhuman role. Playboy opposed these warped sexual values and, in so doing, helped women step down from their pedestals and enjoy their natural sexuality as much as men."

-Hugh Hefner

In some ways, Hefner and Playboy helped to spur on the more liberated women of today. This is believable if you consider the number of women that have expressed how "Liberating" it was to pose for Playboy.

"Part of the sexual revolution is bringing rationality to sexuality. Because when you don't embrace sexuality in a normal way, you get the twisted kinds and the kinds that destroy lives."

-Hugh Hefner

Before his passing, Hefner left behind many words of wisdom regarding his philosophies on sexuality.

I think our society is fragmented. Messages regarding human sexuality have always been mixed in America. We are a schizophrenic nation. We were founded initially by Puritans, who escaped repression only to establish their own. Then the founding fathers gave us the Constitution to separate church and state. But the one thing that got left out of all those laws was human sexuality.

Americans are fascinated by our sexuality and frightened by it. And during the Reagan and Bush era you got an entire decade of anti-sex government. Sex is not the enemy. It is the beginning of civilization, family and tribe. Sex can be twisted and exploited, but in its most essential form, it's the best part of who we are. And it frightens us.

My life has been devoted to trying to bring a little more understanding to human sexuality - not just in society, but also inside myself. The struggle has been internal as well as external. One of the reasons that I have such tremendous satisfaction at this point in my life is because I know I've made a difference. I've made a difference in a way that really matters to me. I see a lot of terrible things going on in the world, but there are some good things going on too, and I feel I've been a part of that. I really do feel I have been on the side of the angels.

After all the Puritans came to America to escape from persecution and then turned around and started persecuting other people. So I understand that conflict that we have related to play and pleasure and sexuality. And I think what has made my life worthwhile is trying to deal with some of those questions.

I think that there's nothing wrong with masturbation. If you're not feeling good about your own sexuality and your own body, you're not going to feel good about anything else.

If you don’t encourage healthy sexual expression in public, you get unhealthy sexual expression in private. If you attempt to suppress sex in books, magazines, movies and even everyday conversation, you aren’t helping to make sex more private, just more hidden. You’re keeping sex in the dark. What we’ve tried to do is turn on the lights

I think that there’s nothing wrong with masturbation. If you’re not feeling good about your own sexuality and your own body, you’re not going to feel good about anything else.

Sex is the driving force on the planet. We should embrace it, not see it as the enemy

Hugh saw the potential political conflict between sexual freedoms and those beliefs of our leaders.

I think that sexual oppression and dictatorship go hand in hand.

My Thoughts On Sex

Hugh's legacy will live on forever. Sadly, the world he saw was further out of reach than I'm sure he would have liked. Sex between consenting adults is a natural and wonderful thing in all its forms. Hefner's business, and his life, expounded this virtue.

Without question, love in its various permutations is what we need more of in this world. The idea that the concept of marriage will be sullied by same-sex marriage is ridiculous. Heterosexuals haven’t been doing that well at it on their own.

-Hugh Hefner

References: Quotes historically attributed to Hugh Hefner

A-z quotes

AnotherMan Magazine