The portrait of a hedonist: The personality and ethics behind the value and maladaptive pursuit of pleasure

•We differentiate hedonism as the value of pleasure from its maladaptive pursuit.•Unlike value-based hedonism, maladaptive hedonism negatively predicts well-being.•People who value pleasure have a distinct, socially liberal moral profile.•In contrast, the tendency to pursue pleasure to excess is reflected in personality.•Thus the portrait of a hedonist is more complex than depicted in popular culture.