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This concept occurred to me around a year ago, in the middle of one of my self-growth efforts (see the Authentic Man Program). Seems sort of obvious now, but I hadn't quantified it before then. My mom got hooked on k.d. lang when I was in high school. She played "Absolute Torch & Twang" over and over, and I, not being a country music fan, friggin' hated it. Until one day I realized that I didn't hate it anymore. I loved it. How the hell did that happen? Turns out Miss lang is a gifted vocalist and songwriter, and after a couple dozen listens I was forced to admit that it was a brilliant album. This is an example of what I call a "beer pleasure." Nearly no one likes beer the first time they try it (substitute wine here if that's your poison). It's interesting, sure, but you can't honestly say it's tasty. Most of us eventually start drinking copious amounts of it, however, not because we've decided that we like it now, but because we want to get drunk and have fun. But then one day, after all that "hard work," we realize that we've started to like beer for its own sake, not just as a vehicle for inebriation. And oh, we like it soooo much. The reward we get for a cold beer at the right time is immeasurable. Candy, on the other hand, is an easy sell from the moment it touches your tongue. I mean hell, you've got a receptor there just for that very purpose (there ain't no beer receptor). And because candy is so barren of complexity and challenge, it is forever doomed to give us only shallow, fleeting pleasure. Yeah, you'll probably always like candy, but how much can you really appreciate it? Does anyone contemplate the nuanced accents of a cherry Lifesaver? Therein lies the eWhiphany: those pleasures that require work to enjoy are the only pleasures that are worthwhile. I feel that one of the most difficult things to do in life is to regularly take on "beer" challenges, and doing so is, in all likelihood, the only thing that will make us feel truly fulfilled and happy. After all, no one wants to look back on their life and say that they spent the bulk of it eating ice cream and playing video games. So let this be a post-new-year pep talk, folks - don't look back on 2008 and realize that all you did was eat candy. Learn a new language. Take up painting. Become a windsurfer. Step up and accept those beer pleasure challenges. Your happiness depends on it!
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