Pleasure: Episode 14

Welcome to Episode 14 of The Tortoise, the podcast (plodcast!) that digs deep into the possibilities of slow.

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The Topic: Pleasure

Just the word brings a little shiver to the spine: Pleasure.

Defined as “a feeling or experience that involves enjoyment or satisfaction,” in today’s episode, Ben and I dig a little deeper into what pleasure is in real terms, what it means to us and why expanding our individual definitions might be the key to unlocking a whole new way of experiencing life.

For me, it’s directly related to not only my word of the year (joy) but also the theme of this term’s writing (rebellious living).

At first glance, pleasure doesn’t appear to be particularly related to living rebelliously, but throughout this conversation, Ben and I dig into why centring pleasure in a world that feels too much, too heavy, too overwhelming really can be an act of rebellion. (Honestly!)

In a wide-ranging conversation, we also talk about:

• Our personal definitions of pleasure

• Sensations that are related to pleasure

• Why I think redefining and centering pleasure can be an act of rebellion, and why Ben struggles to understand that way of thinking

• Why shrinking pleasure down to a matter of seconds can increase the amount we experience

• The relationship between pleasure and addiction

• Why dopamine can be both a friend and foe when it comes to true pleasure

• Why reclaiming pleasure can make us less prone to manipulation (and why the opposite is also true)

• Why a reduction of inputs (social media, for example) can give us more space for pleasure

• Why keeping a list of tiny pleasures can help us on the days where pleasure feels hard to come by

• How a six-second kiss has been a game-changer for us

• Why paying attention and becoming a better self-observer could help us uncover more opportunities for pleasure.

I also include a list of some of my own pleasures, including fantasy books, swimming in the cold ocean, walking barefoot on the grass, fully inhabiting a moment of delight like drinking coffee in the sun, massage, belly laughs and hugs.

I think that quantifying our pleasures can help not only highlight them when they do happen, but also remind us that there are many opportunities for pleasure each day, if we’re willing to look.

I’m so curious to hear from you on this topic. Do you have a definition of pleasure? Do you have a good relationship with it, or is it something you set aside too often? Does pleasure feel rebellious to you, or, like Ben, do you think it’s an innately human thing to seek out? What simple pleasures do you enjoy?

The Links

Below is a list of links discussed in today’s episode. If I’ve forgotten any, please let me know in the comments:

• Seeking pleasure as 1% of my day

• The pleasure trap by Douglas Lisle: TEDxFremont

• Defining hedonism - The International Encyclopedia of Philosophy

• The Six-Second Kiss - The Gottman Institute

• TikTok's "6-Second Kiss" Intimacy Hack Is A Relationship Game-Changer - Bustle

• Join The Tortoise community on Substack

• Subscribe to the podcast in your favourite app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc)

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Thanks so much for tuning in. We’re hoping that next episode might also include a video version of the pod, for anyone who might be interested in watching us, but as always, we’ll be here and on your favourite podcast platforms too.

Until next time, here’s to pleasure!

Brooke 💚💚