“We Need Pleasure to Survive…”

By Shlomo Maital  

Enjoy!

    Today’s New York Times has an Op-Ed by Jessica Grose, titled “We need pleasure to survive.”   Here is her main point:

      “…does the joy we get from two glasses of wine over dinner with friends offset the physiological drawbacks in any way?…Does the pleasure from a rich meal…nourish your soul even if it raises your cholesterol?”

     Yes!

     My own theory:  If it makes you happy, go for it, within reasonable bounds of moderation.  Why?  Because the worst thing for your health is not cholesterol but —  unhappiness and depression.  The latter will kill you faster than cholesterol. 

     And even if it doesn’t —   if you abstain from everything you enjoy, just so you live longer,  you will probably not live longer, but it will SEEM like forever.  I have witnessed this first hand.

    So why do it? 

    I believe that in living, quality overcomes quantity.  Enjoy life.  I believe you will live longer.  And even if you don’t – it was worth it.