Homework
Simone Roberts
I know it's a departure from the track of our previous conversations, but I want to try an experiment. Exploratory Homework. I stole the idea from very playful Rob Breszny, who stole it from therapists, but then swerved. I have a suggestion.
Here it is:
In the next two weeks:
1 Identify 3 events, phenomena, or trends in the larger culture that you think are examples/instances of pleasure.
2 Same thing for hedonism
3 Identify 3 activities you KNOW will create pleasure for you, and do them.
4 Identify 1 activity that you are not sure will create pleasure for you, and do it.
5 Identify 1 activity that you are either sure or unsure is hedonist in your book, do it.
6 Identify 1 event, phenomena, or trend in the larger culture that you find hedonist.
Or , some blends of both. We don't have be all binary about this.
Report your findings. All we need at this stage is report. Daring is not required, nor astonishing originality -- just careful attention. Total length: your call.
Then we can move to analysis on our own, and discussion together.
Why am I suggesting this? Because I think we need to come at our definitions from the bottom up. I tend to go top down: from the abstract to the concrete, and much of the our discussion has generally run that way because I set it up that way. And that might not be the best way in. I think this might be a good experiment for us each, and then also for the purpose of our discussions.
If you think I'm wrong, or if such homework is simply out of bounds for you right now -- we can shelve or even 86 the idea. I'm just floating it.
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*
Above all, be gentle with yourself,
Simone
My Email: sisa...@gmail.com
My Blog: http://kalidharmashaktidharma.blogspot.com
"Somewhere in the world there is a treasure that has no value to anyone but you, and a secret that is meaningless to everyone except you, and a frontier that possesses a revelation only you know how to exploit. Go in search of those things. Somewhere in the world there is a person who could ask you the precise question you need to hear in order to catalyze the next phase of your evolution. Do what's necessary to run into that person." ---- Rob Breszny
Margaret Howard
Nancy Wonders Dearing
This is an amazingly good idea...I love the idea..the first thought that came is I wonder if there are any events in the larger culture that are examples of pleasure?!
n
On 5/14/07 8:24 AM, "Margaret Howard" <redlotu...@gmail.com> wrote:
Sounds like fun to me!
On 5/12/07, Simone Roberts <sisa...@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear All,
I know it's a departure from the track of our previous conversations, but I want to try an experiment. Exploratory Homework. I stole the idea from very playful Rob Breszny, who stole it from therapists, but then swerved. I have a suggestion.
Here it is:
In the next two weeks:
1 Identify 3 events, phenomena, or trends in the larger culture that you think are examples/instances of pleasure.
2 Same thing for hedonism
3 Identify 3 activities you KNOW will create pleasure for you, and do them.
4 Identify 1 activity that you are not sure will create pleasure for you, and do it.
5 Identify 1 activity that you are either sure or unsure is hedonist in your book, do it.
6 Identify 1 event, phenomena, or trend in the larger culture that you find hedonist.
Or , some blends of both. We don't have be all binary about this.
Report your findings. All we need at this stage is report. Daring is not required, nor astonishing originality -- just careful attention. Total length: your call.
Then we can move to analysis on our own, and discussion together.
Why am I suggesting this? Because I think we need to come at our definitions from the bottom up. I tend to go top down: from the abstract to the concrete, and much of the our discussion has generally run that way because I set it up that way. And that might not be the best way in. I think this might be a good experiment for us each, and then also for the purpose of our discussions.
If you think I'm wrong, or if such homework is simply out of bounds for you right now -- we can shelve or even 86 the idea. I'm just floating it.
~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*
Above all, be gentle with yourself,
Simone
My Email: sisa...@gmail.com
"Somewhere in the world there is a treasure that has no value to anyone but you, and a secret that is meaningless to everyone except you, and a frontier that possesses a revelation only you know how to exploit. Go in search of those things. Somewhere in the world there is a person who could ask you the precise question you need to hear in order to catalyze the next phase of your evolution. Do what's necessary to run into that person." ---- Rob Breszny
http://art4emancipation.blogspot.com/
http://jasmineblossom.blogspot.com/
http://smithfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/
Release a book into the wild!
http://bookcrossing.com/
Nancy C. Wonders
Courageous Change Consultancy
Phone: 214-564-6226 Fax: 214-946-5952
Email: Na...@courageouschange.com
“I will walk the world in wonder.” Oscar Wilde
Simone Roberts
hugs to your daughter. 21 is rough.
no worries about the call. we'll get there.
si
Above all, be gentle with yourself,
Simone
My Email: sisa...@gmail.com
My Blog: http://kalidharmashaktidharma.blogspot.com
Margaret Howard
1. Identify 3 events, phenomena, or trends in the larger culture that you think are examples/instances of pleasure.
1. Foodieness – people are getting into food – good food – en masse. Not everyone, but way more than before. What was once solely the domain of the very rich is now more or less open to, well, the middle classes I guess. And not just in eating out. In cooking, too, and it's possible since all sorts of ingredients are much more widely available than "before." There is even writing about food and spirit, and I think other evidences of foodieness that doesn't have to be hedonistic. Indeed, this pleasure often now includes looking at local food sources, tasting the pleasure of a local vegetable as compared to a trucked-in one, the treatment of the workers that brought it to table, environmental impact, etc. These factors lift the foodieness out of hedonism.
2. Yoga – a pleasure in the body and spirit that is more or less (depending on the particular yoga class) independent of a wish to be "buff." Definitely can be a "higher" pleasure.
3. Isn't there a slight blip up on the "enjoying nature now" meter? Thanks to Al Gore? Seriously, I think I see people looking around and going, "Oh, my God. Look at this place. It's gorgeous" and then sometimes actually doing something in the Out of Doors. For pleasure.
2. Same thing for hedonism
1. Foodieness – take everything I said above and add selfishness. The hedonistic foodie does not care about where the food comes from, what resources or people were exploited to get it, nor the fact that only an teensy percentage of humans on the planet can even imagine such meals. This foodie is a glutton or a gourmand of the worst kind – just unconsciously consuming, but experiencing pleasure, still. In short, he is not thankful, doesn't give thanks, and believes the pleasure to be his right.
2. Pornography – On the rise. No spiritual value. All exploitation and distancing.
3. NASCAR – burns a lot of fuel, creates a lot of dirt. Apparently aficionados do not worry about this. I call that hedonism.
3. Identify 3 activities you KNOW will create pleasure for you, and do them.
1. Eating something special (report to follow).
2. Sleeping (report to follow).
3. Doing yoga (report to follow).
4. Identify 1 activity that you are not sure will create pleasure for you, and do it.
1. Hmmm. What in the world would that be? I'll have to think about this one.
5. Identify 1 activity that you are either sure or unsure is hedonist in your book, do it.
1. As long as it's not one of the things on my list, above. I'll think about this one, too.
6. Identify 1 event, phenomena, or trend in the larger culture that you find hedonist.