Abstract
Humans are consistently biased towards pleasurable beliefs, for example, that we are better than average regarding desirable traits and that our futures will be brighter than statistically plausible. According to an influential theory within psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural economics, we are biased towards these (and other) pleasurable beliefs because they maximise hedonic belief-utility. I challenge this theory and suggest alternative explanations for pleasurable beliefs and the psychological processes that produce them. According to the view I present, such beliefs stem from processes that have little to do with maximising belief-utility.