Northern Cardinal (male)

It is my opinion that living is not only inherently worthwhile, but that the basic experience of being alive is also inherently pleasurable, or should be inherently pleasurable. And if the basic experience of living is not pleasurable, it is likely because our way of living, or mode of experiencing life, is wrong. By the “basic experience of living”, I am referring to some of the most rudimentary aspects of our existence: looking, listening, feeling, eating, moving our bodies, taking a deep breath of fresh air, or laying down to sleep. It is my opinion that if one is experiencing these activities as fully as possible, they are not only pleasurable in their own right, but they are also part of what makes living an inherently worthwhile experience. That is, they form the foundation of feelings that life is enjoyable, valuable, worth doing in good times and bad, and worth accepting responsibility for.

Maslow believed that, too. He called the activities and/or functions listed above, insofar as they are sources of pleasure and enrichment, “biopleasures”.

As I was birding this morning, I found myself meditating on the concept of “biopleasures,” particularly on the importance of looking and listening. Standing at the edge of the forest, enveloped in the hush of the early morning, looking and listening intently for Red-winged Blackbirds, I thought to myself, “Looking and listening have become so invaluable to me.” There was a time when I didn’t know how to look and listen properly, when I looked and listened passively, without focus or intention, without really deriving pleasure, enrichment, or value from the experience. Birding, more than any other activity, has shown me the art of looking and listening and made them a place of respite, meditation, and connection in my life.

Here are some thoughts:

Looking and listening quiet the mind and recalibrate our perspective.

I love birding on winter mornings. The cold is invigorating. The quiet is peaceful. The forest is beautiful in early morning light. And, due to seasonal migration, I never know which species I might encounter, which makes it exciting. This morning, I didn’t find the flock of Red-winged Blackbirds I was looking for (which is why the header image on this post is a cardinal, not a blackbird), but I did revel in the experience of looking and listening. 

It may go without saying, but looking and listening for birds requires a high degree of attention. It is both meditative and immersive. That is, when I am looking and listening for birds, everything else stops. I am all eyes and ears. My mind is quiet. I am completely immersed in my environment. Said differently: I lose myself for awhile, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

When we lose ourselves in our environment, it often has the beneficial effect of making our problems appear smaller, of toning down negative emotions and making them feel more manageable, and of recalibrating our perspective on any number of issues. 

Looking and listening cultivate active, focused attention.

I don’t like to spend too much time on the internet, on social media in particular. Generally speaking, I find it overstimulating: it’s too bright, too fast, and too loud. Indeed, I know I’ve exceeded my threshold for screen time when I feel as if my mind is cluttered, or full of noise. I’m unfocused, my thoughts are moving faster than I’d like them too, and I am on edge. 

For this particular malaise, I have three antidotes, all with one thing in common: they require active, focused attention. The first is reading (a physical book). The second is Pilates (or yoga). And the third is birding or—you guessed it—any other form of immersive looking and listening. To that end, a walk in the woods also does the trick.

Because looking and listening cultivate an active, focused style of attention, they are, to my mind, essential for overall wellbeing, much like meditation or any other form of mindfulness. The greater my screen time, the more necessary I find it to have practices built into my daily routine that allow me to rebalance, refocus, clear my mind, and simply enjoy being. In this regard, activities, like birding or walking in the woods, that require an immersive and intentional style of looking and listening are very much their own reward. 

Looking and listening should be treated as skills we are responsible for developing.

There is an immense satisfaction that comes from developing our skills and capacities, whether they’re rudimentary, like looking and listening, or highly specialized, like an artistic talent. Part of that satisfaction, to my mind, is the inherent pleasure of being who we are. The other part of that satisfaction comes from being the one who made it happen. Maslow believed this, too. This is what it means to be the creator of your own life. Don’t neglect the “little” things, like looking, listening, or other sensory capacities. (They’re not little.) Take responsibility for all of your capacities, and the reward will be that much greater.