This postA couple of weeks ago dp recommended Mark Chamberlain’s Wanting More: The Challenge of Enjoyment in the Age of Addiction. Yesterday, one of my co-workers was raving about it (she’d just bought it on sale at the bookstore), and so I waddled over to the library and checked out the only copy they had in. And last night before bed I read the first four or so chapters.
I like it!
A lot, actually. It’s my kind of book. Since I haven’t finished it yet, however, this post will mainly be my own thoughts and feelings on the matter.
In a nutshell, I firmly believe that our society is plagued with overstimulation in so many ways, and in effect we’re raising up an army of addicts: alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, gambling addicts, violence addicts, video game addicts, thrill addicts, and the list goes on. This is bad.
People are always on the lookout for more, more, more. More intense, more exciting, more violent, more sexy, more of a high, ad infinitum. The paradox is that the more we get, the less satisfied we feel and the more determined we become to get even more. The challenge, as Chamberlain talks about, is learning to be satisfied with less. And that’s where the peace and true happiness lies. I’ve experienced it in a few small ways in my life and I’m positive he’s right. If we’re not finding joy in the mundane, day-to-day activities of life, something is wrong with us. Really.
I’ll leave it at that for now, but I’m sure I’ll have more to say when I finish Wanting More. :)
