They say if you want to enjoy something more, learn about it. Who is ‘they’? I confess, I’m not sure. I think I heard it in a TED talk…
Regardless, I’m going with this because I’ve found it to be true.
On my recent trip to London, I enjoyed the sights that I had researched much more than the ones we just stumbled across. Even better, I was able to enjoy everything again after we came home and I googled it all. Really! How else would I have known that the tile work in the Tube station by our hotel was done by the same guy who created the giant naked Newton statue outside the British Library?
Learning about something after you experience it can be as enjoyable as knowing about it beforehand.
After attending an Arturo Sandoval concert, my son and I watched the HBO movie about his life. Recognizing music from the concert when it played in the movie brought an extra level of connection and understanding more about Sandoval’s personal journey made everything that happened that night even sweeter.
I relish diving in and learning the story behind the story or finding the connection between things.
This is one of the reasons I love listening to podcasts. Among my favorites (besides the TED talks) are WNYC’s Radiolab and Stuff You Should Know (from howstuffworks.com). Radiolab focusses on connection and exploring cultural and scientific discoveries, research and concepts. Stuff You Should Know, hosted by the lovable Josh and Chuck, tackles topics ranging from Fecal Transplants (look it up!) to Mortgage-backed Securities with an occasional Zombie thrown in.
So what do you enjoy? How about kicking it up a notch with some knowledge? I dare you!