Staying Fit
Austin Walsh
When The Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin, 57, developed an eye condition that left her at a heightened risk for a detached retina, the prospect of possibly losing her vision sparked her quest to increase awareness of all five of her senses. The result is her latest book, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World, which offers insights and practical advice about heightening our seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching to better experience the world around us.
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What was the most surprising thing you learned while writing Life in Five Senses?
The most surprising thing is just how different our sensory worlds are. Intellectually I knew that, but our brains tell us what they think we need to know and screen out a lot of other things. I was doing a recording, and all of a sudden the person said, “Let’s wait for that.” I was like, “Why are we stopping?” She said, “Don’t you hear the siren?” Because I live in New York City, my brain is like, “You don’t need to hear those sirens.” Or like the way we can’t smell our home the way guests could smell it. We’re so accustomed to the smell. So if you’ve ever walked into a house [that] really smells like air freshener, or maybe really smells like cats — it’s because the person who lives there can’t smell it … it’s partly genetic, it’s cultural, it’s upbringing, it’s preferences, it’s experiences. … We’re all walking around in our own world.
What is one new habit that you’ve cultivated because of your research for the book?
I go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art [in New York City] every day that it’s open. I did that for a year for the book, but I’ve just kept going. I don’t have a lot of rules. I might have a little quest. On Presidents’ Day, I might go look and see how many presidents I can find, or I might see if I find the Pantone Color of the Year. Sometimes I just look at the new exhibits.
You have quizzes on your website to help readers identify their sensory weak spots. What is your most neglected sense, and how are you working to tune in?
My neglected sense is taste, so I’ve done things to try to enjoy the tastes that I enjoy more. I had a taste party because I did this thing called Flavor University where we did a lot of taste comparisons. We tasted varieties of apples and potato chips and ranked them. There’s all kinds of ways to have fun with taste by just noticing the differences among items. … I’m much more aware of distinctions, and the world is more enjoyable because I know how to pick what I like best.
What is the biggest misconception about happiness?
The biggest misconception is that there’s a one size fits all — that somebody can tell you the “right” way. Everyone has to figure out their happiness project for themselves, because it depends on your values, your interests, your nature, your challenges. Each of us has to decide for ourselves. … The misconception is that there’s sort of one right way that would work for everyone.
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