Why do people enjoy sex, or eating, or anything else for that matter? The clever dicks can tell us all they like that enjoyment drives the natural imperatives, but that isn’t the point. The point is: what is enjoyment?
I’ve often been prone to an unfortunate tendency. Just when I’m enjoying something, part of my mind breaks off and asks the question: ‘Why are you enjoying this? What is this sensation?’ I feel a bit like Douglas Adams’ sperm whale, newly created by the infinite improbability drive and trying to make sense of a sudden plunge into awareness. Only, in my case, the effect is to make the whole thing seem illusory and meaningless. It’s like waking up out of a dream.
Enjoyment is obviously an abstract phenomenon, and it clearly resides on the level of consciousness. If I could get to the bottom of that one, I’m sure I would get to the bottom of everything.
In the meantime, I’ll try to give myself up to enjoyment if and when it ever comes my way again.
7 comments:
Another topic for psychologists. People are trying to figure this out.
I doubt they ever will. They can discover the parts of the brain where feelings are controlled, but that's just a matter of chemistry. The actual nature of emotion - the feeling itself - is surely both abstract and subjective. Reason is essentially a pragmatic process, and I don't see how it can ever explain consciousness. I think this is one of the fundamental limitations of science as we understand it, and why metaphysical search and speculation is beyond the remit of the scientist to comment upon.
Have you heard Karl Pilkington's take on enjoying things? I enjoy listening to anything that man says.
Better look up Karl Pilkington, then. If he's clever, I probably won't understand him.
I am not sure you'd call him clever. Ricky Gervais said it best i think; he said that one side of Karl's brain was a genius but the other side keeps messing things up. Do look him up on YouTube. I've never laughed so hard at anyone in my life. He is on The Ricky Gervais show and there is another sort of documentary about him called Idiot Abroad.
Sorry if my sentences are all messed up... i have the worst headache and the medicine i have to take makes me feel all messed up.
Andrea, sweet lady. Do rest up, please. Be a pampered poodle until you feel right again. I shall continue to feel honoured while I'm investigating Karl Pilkington in your absence. Liam needs a healthy mom.
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