I just interviewed Fred Plotkin for my radio show. While I write a guidebook that uses physical sights as racks upon which to hang an understanding and appreciation of history and culture, Fred writes a guide to Italy that uses food for that rack. He (and his book, Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, www.fredplotkin.com) is an inspiration to me. Fundamental to Fred’s thinking is his philosophy of the “pleasure activist.” I had to share it with you:
Whenever I am asked what is a pleasure activist, I respond, “A pleasure activist is what you think it is.” This is not meant to be coy or evasive. Each one of us has a strong impression of what pleasure is, though it seems not to be something we discuss or share. I know what mine is, and I will describe it presently.
Pleasure activism is not about hedonism. There is something mindless and selfish about hedonism that is not in keeping with the spirit of pleasure activism. Similarly, shopping, consuming, and acquisition are not what this is about. In fact, anyone who derives a sense of self from money and possessions will never be truly happy.
Each one of us humans has been given the gift of five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. For those who might have one sense that is impaired, they develop their other senses more powerfully. I believe that most people scarcely use their senses and, as such, miss out on a great deal of pleasure. They see but do not observe. They hear but do not listen. They smell and taste but do not savor. They touch but do not feel.
I believe that the best way to use the senses is to not analyze what is being perceived while we are doing the perceiving. What we take in becomes part of our bank of information, knowledge and experience. When presented, say, with a piece of chocolate, a glass of wine, a new landscape, or music we have not yet heard, we can open our senses more fully and actively to discover the pleasures and complexities that await us. This means putting other thoughts out of our head and focusing our senses on what we are perceiving.
Pleasure activism is also the recognition of the value of things and experiences. One bite of chocolate or one sip of wine is immensely rewarding. The second bite or sip can tell us more if we let it. Otherwise, it is a repetition of the first experience. A box of chocolates or a bottle of wine might prove less meaningful. Fresh air, clean water, and silence only seem meaningful when they are absent — yet few people savor them when they are within reach.
If we meet a new, interesting person and open all of our senses to him or her, we have a much stronger experience of why that person is so compelling. In the media and in our social training, our minds are filled with so many strategies for happiness and success, but they all involve calculated behavior that may be counter to our nature and instinct, which form the sixth sense. When we are alive to all that we see, hear, smell, savor and feel, we refine what we call taste and, moreover, add to that mysterious but essential human characteristic we call instinct.
I would never say that the fullest use of our senses is the secret to happiness and fulfillment. Such an assertion is too pat and general. But any behavior that can contribute to our becoming more fully human and insightful is one that should be prized. And that, to me, is pleasure activism.
What does it mean to you?
Right on! That’s great. We all tend to take things for granted. We often forget that it can be so simple and so personally rewarding to find pleasure by being in the moment and fully immersing ourselves in whatever it is we happen to be experiencing. Whether that be through travel, eating, laughing, exercising, meditating, being with a loved one, learning or any other activity, we owe it to ourselves to feel those heightened experiences and to grow and evolve because of them. We deserve to feel, sense, and savor life at better than average or mediocre bandwiths. To see the whole spectrum of our experiences and relish it is a challenge of which we must constantly remind ourselves. So thanks for the reminder, Rick and Fred. I will be checking out Fred’s book.
A wonderful post; thank you for sharing it with us, Rick. Being present for each moment that we take breath; not looking for tomorrow to bring us happiness or reviewing the sorrows of yesterday; that is the way of knowing peace and joy today. Squeezing everything out of each moment we share with loved ones, friends, acquaintances, strangers, or when alone. Too often we forget that the journey is what makes life so vital and that journey is what will make eternity such a wonderful journey. Thank you again for such a great post! Michael B
Live in the moment, fully connect with what is in front of you, and do not spend your entire life worrying about the future and/or reliving the past. It’s a lesson that –no matter how often we learn hear it– always bears repeating. Thanks for the reminder!
Interesting, if not exactly original. Sounds like a re-framing of Epicurianism to me.
A comment from another poster brought to mind my experience in high school working at a movie theatre that had Korean or Vietnamese midnight movies on occasion. I would have to stretch my mind to come up with different ways of saying something in order to be understood by people still learning English. I would also have to listen very closely to understand their broken English and heavy accents. While this blog post may be a “re-framing” and not “original,” it speaks to me and to others and makes us look at things a little differently. Or to put it another way, “there is nothing new under the sun,” but that doesn’t make the subject any less important or true.
To me the key phrase in this is “calculated behavior”. If we approach new or different experiences and truly “experience” them without agendas or even preconceived notions but with love and respect, joy and learning can ensue!
Relating this to travel the first place that comes to mind for me is the Lauterbrunnen valley. I felt small and insignificant looking at the sheer cliffs of the valley walls and cragy peaks of the Alps. I could smell the fresh cool air of early May and hear the clanging of the cow bells in the fields around me. Maybe it was because it was my first full day in Europe, but my senses were on full blast and that visit to Lauterbrunnen is etched hard into my mind. It was over 4 years ago now and still certain smells or sounds trigger memories of that place. I have since visited other magical places like Venice, Hallstatt, and Rome, but none measure up. So there is the problem. Even in travel, visiting places with little in common the human brain prioritizes and ranks them in order of importance to each individual. Ideally you would build on each new place until on your last trip you find your personal eden. Unforutuneatly I read Rick Steves and went to Lauterbrunnen first!
Mike: But isn’t it wonderful that you can relive that magical experience in Lauterbrunnen — a mini-vacation when you least expect it! Maybe you should drop your preconceived idea of eden and just enjoy life as it happens . . .
I think the pleasure of experience comes with age. In younger years we seem to want to obtain “things” and then I find in middle age myself and friends are really trying to relieve ourselves of all these “things” and long for experience. For a few years now my husband and I would much rather save for our next adventure together that to buy each other more “things”.
Some beautiful prose and ideas expressed in the comments but my latest pleasure was a raccoon!! Fat, furry, feisty,with bright eyes surrounded by the characteristic black mask, he stuffed himself inside a trap intended for a pesky squirrel. Getting him out was harder than getting him in but as he shot out and vaulted the fence to our adjacent meadow with only one resentful backward glance, I admired his beauty and agility.
Whether or not there is “nothing new under the sun,” isn’t it wonderful to be under the sun?
What a great idea, pleasure activism. Travel inspires contemplation, whether it is about the historic places, the museums, the people or just the day to day life. Reading, listening to music, enjoying the restaurants are all part of stepping back from the usual routine and seeing the larger picture. Europe is a sort of parallel universe and it can bring great rewards. Though the rewards are not totally measurable. I meet a lot of teachers who travel. I am one too, and we are life long learners.
YES, “pleasure activism”, please! Altruism and acts of kindness feel sooo good, there shouldn’t be anything “random” about them. This ought to lead into a resolution for me; I resolve to be kinder to travelers, and not pretend that I don’t speak English when they’re rude and obnoxious to me. Perhaps they might behave better if just one person treated them kindly and offered a smile.
Love ya, Rick! Why is it that traditionalists consider liberal views to be inappropriate, while progressives see neocon views as merely boorish? BTW, using your high-schooler as editor is a good idea, but they should be supervised: A sight cannot be truly captured on a map, while a site cannot be fully described with a photograph. x:)x
Quite Interesting, your approach is different, from your experience you gives a lot cheap flights Lamezia
Hey, your posts have inspired me! – I love the way you directly get to the point, and then work outwards. I’ve been trying to do figure out what I want to say about ,that would allow me to do exactly the same thing.