Welcome to Musing Interruptus. We live in an age where everything is worthy of expression because we are all winners in this game of life. We win just for showing up. You might say this podcast is just that. Although, I am thinking more along the lines of students who feel deserving of a passing grade because an effort was made, learning objectives be damned. It used to be A for effort, do better next time. There are so many adults who prefer not to take responsibility for their actions, nor be accountable. Not even for their own happiness.
Some thoughts poison the well, like happiness must be automatic, if it isn’t, then it isn’t happiness. Same deal with love, learning, and success. The disconnect between the objectives and the effort to accomplish is big. I consider the legions of anti-sciencers a result of this very disconnection.
We are all winners in this game of life, gentle people. Let’s not think about the tough stuff. Not until life gets real. Which is a valid argument for keeping it light. Except it isn’t, because there are others, living under other circumstances. We live in a system where our actions do in fact have consequences, beyond our imagination. It is hard enough to fathom and swallow this, let alone digest.
Don’t think for a moment I am trying to colonize your thoughts, as Saramago might imply…  I’m simply stating that having people who think, learn, work, love, enjoy, and appreciate what is behind each of these experiences have a positive effect on society as a whole.
Today on Musing Interruptus: Instant gratification vs pleasure delaying.
The first time I watched Vanilla Sky, I was completely taken by Penelope Cruz describing pleasure delaying. What a thing. What a delight. Stretching the moment from the inception of desire to satisfaction. Combined with courtship... There is artistry there… I wonder how many of you are well versed in the art of courtship. Is it still alive among other generations? I was thinking about the relevance of bands like the Beatles and how little by little there are songs that are no longer welcome because they express violence and toxic signs in a relationship. Case in point. Run for your life. Of course, there are so many other songs that are the soundtrack of the finest love affairs and psychedelic experiences. I wonder if the way we understand love will change, making these songs irrelevant. I hope not.
I am under the impression that instant gratification is more generally pursued these days. Technology surely plays a part in it. Tiktok and Instagram provide entertainment that has been digested several times over, in many cases condensing the principles of storytelling and reaching the punchline faster. I’ll tell you this, I still love a long story, long conversations, and lectures from interesting professors. Activities that occupy your intellect feel good. How will this cult, nay shared inertia for instant gratification change the face of the world?
This made me think of the sequel to Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas, or Sex, Shame, and Tears (as it was translated). The dialogues pale in comparison to the first one; the second installment, 20 years later lacks the poignancy and insight that caught our attention the first time around. Maybe someone was lazy or was under the gun to write… or even worse, they knew depth would be lost on certain key demographics.
Instant gratification, it's like a coca-cola when it is really hot. It hits the spot immediately, but it's not what you really need, nor will it make you feel good in the long run. Then again, who cares? None of this will matter in 100 years.  I promise.
So, instant gratification or pleasure delaying? What does courtship look like today? What does our future society look like? What is meaningful in the future? I’m Listening.

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