Monday, September 01, 2014

Lurch headlong from one pleasurable experience to the next without ever achieving satisfaction

"We are constantly murmuring, muttering, scheming or wondering to ourselves under our breath," wrote (Dr. Mark) Epstein. "'I like this. I don't like that. She hurt me. How can I get that? More of this, no more of that.' Much of our inner dialogue is this constant reaction to experience by a selfish, childish protagonist. None of us has moved very far from the seven-year-old who vigilantly watches to see who got more." There were also delightful passages about the human tendency to lurch headlong from one pleasurable experience to the next without ever achieving satisfaction. Epstein totally nailed my habit of hunting around my plate for the next bite before I'd tasted what was in my mouth. As he described it, "I do not want to experience the fading of the flavor - the colorless, cottony pulp that succeeds that spectacular burst over my taste buds."

- 10% Happier by Dan Harris

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