Back to Basics
I recently noticed that I was delighted in the experience of discovery itself. This delight occurred in the instant after the recognition that I had discovered something that was new to me. What came to mind was that maybe it does not matter at all what I was exploring, or had discovered, but that perhaps what I was seeking was simply delight. This took me right back to the premise I made in Choice and Appreciation that appreciation (described as delight in this current experience) was part of the fundamental process of creating beauty so that it might be appreciated. It also brought to mind that Freud’s “pleasure principle” – that entities seek pleasure and avoid pain – is visible in this pattern.
I wondered if it was possible that the Family Traits that I had pointed to in an earlier essay also had the same feature, that of evoking delight, pleasure, enjoyment, appreciation, or whatever other adjectives point to that range of experiences.
Here is an excerpt from that essay:
If, to borrow a phrase, we were “made in the image and likeness of God,” then it makes sense that we still reflect the “likeness” of our parent energy, which some call god. It also makes sense, from a purely evolutionary point of view, that the essence of what we evolved from would still be embedded in us, much like the DNA in our bodies. And where those likenesses are most visible in a relatively undiluted form is in young children. Initially it takes time to bring their attention into our perceptual ranges, but as they do they are insatiably curious. They observe, then explore and enjoy. They investigate and try things out long before they have the use of language. …