Things of value

What things are required for a pleasant life? Here are my answers.

ā€“ optimum health;
ā€“ as much free time as possible;
ā€“ a few dependable friendships;
ā€“ an appreciation of your existing surroundings (which can be enhanced through the basic study of astronomy, botany, architecture, culture, aesthetics, psychology, etc);
ā€“ sensual pleasure;
ā€“ the confidence to speak your mind;
ā€“ a satisfying creative output, in which you have personal pride;
ā€“ a clean and dignified living space;
ā€“ a modicum of peer recognition;
ā€“ some good habits to be proud of;
ā€“ few dependencies;
ā€“ few secrets.

Not many of these things are commercially available.

This is not an attempt at fabricating a mawkish, real-meaning-of-Christmas-style consolation prize. This is what Iā€™ve found, so far, to be true.

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About

Robert Wringham is the editor of New Escapologist. He also writes books and articles. Read more at wringham.co.uk

9 Responses to ā€œThings of valueā€

  1. Mark Garner says:

    I couldnā€™t agree more to all these things.

    Point 4 has just reminded me of a blog I wrote for a little while called ā€œFaceless Housing Estate in a Characterless City Diaryā€, which aimed to ape the Guardianā€™s Country Diary column but set in an apparently dull and uninspiring urban landscape. It started as a kind of joke but soon had me appreciating my landscape in new ways. I failed to keep up with the blog, (Iā€™ve just had to Google it to find it) but I have continued to appreciate my environment in new ways.

    Recently, Iā€™ve taken to photographing the esoteric parts or buildings of my (often thoroughly unloved) home city that hold some special resonance, history or beauty for me. I now send my photos and thoughts off to a friend in China. If one canā€™t change the local environment, one can always learn to find (often subversive) ways of appreciating it!

  2. Thatā€™s the ticket. What you say about changing the environment versus learning to appreciate it, is exactly the point. The recent ā€˜supermoonā€™ was my inspiration for writing that down. I found it breathtaking and it completely dissolved my natural sneering cynicism. If we know how to recognise a constellation or a particular kind of city brick masonry, or a kind of tree based on its leaf, we donā€™t need to supplement our surroundings with paid-for tat.

  3. Mark Garner says:

    Yes, I think that the process of asking questions and finding out ā€˜what that tree / building isā€™ can be inspiring. It reminds us to stay alert, keep asking questions, and otherwise be alive. Iā€™m lucky enough that I can walk to work and engage with the real world on the way. If I had to drive to commute, that window of opportunity, that small and temporary ā€œescapeā€ at least would be lost to me.

  4. SMD says:

    Amen, Rob. Love the list. Iā€™d perhaps add the pleasure of knowing that oneā€™s life is in some way improving that of others, and vice-versa. The wonderful web of interdependency and the rich relationships it fosters!

  5. Others? Fuck ā€™em, I say. (Just kidding. I agree absolutely.) I hope allā€™s hunky-dory. x

  6. Tony says:

    a great list Robert šŸ™‚

  7. [ā€¦] This is a fine piece found on New Escapologist. [ā€¦]

  8. [ā€¦] seek in seeking the good life (it is a far better refined and universal version of what we said here). Meanwhile, their suggestions in the final chapter are designed to nudge society in the direction [ā€¦]

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