I'm happy to have read this ! especially liked the Vienna anecdote . your observation that we often only recognize happiness once it is absence felt very true to me. I also loved the ending.
You are wise beyond your years. Made me think of this quote from Schopenhauer: “The present, on the other hand, is regarded as something quite temporary and serving only as the road to our goal. That is why most men...are surprised to see that which they let go by so unregarded and unenjoyed was precisely their life, was precisely that in expectation of which they lived.”
Also, as far as the psychology/neuroscience goes, this experience you are describing is a form of “hedonic adaptation.” The cycle of drug addiction is an extreme form of this, where an initially euphoric experience becomes commonplace and then even necessary for the body’s functioning.
I agree that gratitude is a healthy response. I think finding gratitude even for the gift of having conscious experience is something we should seek to cultivate. In a cosmic sense, you know? It’s an absolutely infinitesimal chance for any one of us as individuals to come into existence. Might as well cherish it.
I'm happy to have read this ! especially liked the Vienna anecdote . your observation that we often only recognize happiness once it is absence felt very true to me. I also loved the ending.
Thank you for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked it! Funny rnough I’m going back to Vienna in 10 days hahaha, so a new chance
Beautiful work. Venice is my favourite city as well. Thank you for sharing this post.
Thank you so much for the kind words, though in the essay I mentioned Vienna not Venice hahaha
oh yes someone said the j word
You are wise beyond your years. Made me think of this quote from Schopenhauer: “The present, on the other hand, is regarded as something quite temporary and serving only as the road to our goal. That is why most men...are surprised to see that which they let go by so unregarded and unenjoyed was precisely their life, was precisely that in expectation of which they lived.”
Also, as far as the psychology/neuroscience goes, this experience you are describing is a form of “hedonic adaptation.” The cycle of drug addiction is an extreme form of this, where an initially euphoric experience becomes commonplace and then even necessary for the body’s functioning.
I agree that gratitude is a healthy response. I think finding gratitude even for the gift of having conscious experience is something we should seek to cultivate. In a cosmic sense, you know? It’s an absolutely infinitesimal chance for any one of us as individuals to come into existence. Might as well cherish it.
Thank you for the nice comment. The comparison with hedonic adaptation is exactly the experience I was talking about, thanks for sharing that.