What was the last thing that made your body feel good?
The first sip of tea, the warmth of a cat's fur, or the satisfying click of a bike lock?
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According to Ian Bogost, author of The Small Stuff: The Sensory Enchantment of Everyday Life, these tiny moments of gratification are everywhere—if we only pause to notice them.
Bogost, an interdisciplinary academic and video game designer, argues that modern life has become “dematerialised.”
We glide through frictionless, automated routines, missing out on the physical world's subtle pleasures.
His book is a call to fight back by embracing the sensory enchantment hidden in ordinary objects.
Finding Gratification in the Mundane
From the ridges on a paper coffee cup sleeve to peeling plastic film off a new appliance, Bogost catalogues these overlooked delights.
He describes the “orthogonality” of contrasting textures—like crunchy granola in smooth yogurt—as a source of deep satisfaction.
But can someone who is clumsy or sensitive to sensory input find enchantment?
One writer decided to test it over a week, despite a history of bumping into things and hating certain noises.
The answer, it turns out, is yes.
Bogost distinguishes this approach from mindfulness.
“It’s exactly the opposite—getting out of your head and into your body and into the world,” he says.
It’s about “bodyfulness,” not just mental presence.
Everyday Experiments in Sensory Joy
On day one, the writer tried manual coffee grinding. Though it hurt her elbow and took too long, the haptic satisfaction and rich aroma were rewarding.
