Science supports Continuous Small Treats
"People who attempt to avoid all kinds of indulgences are neither happier, nor healthier. They are not even more successful at achieving their goals."
Iris Murdoch enjoying a small treat
No more guilty pleasures
Puritans are unhappy people. They’re the folks who seem to have enough spare time in the day to do things like banning books and making up rules about how often their neighbors should mow their lawns. So I was delighted to read in this week’s Guardian (UK) that a wave of new research has arrived to substantiate the entire premise of this newsletter: SMALL TREATS ARE GOOD FOR US. (Duh)
In one Columbia University study researchers asked alumni to look back 40 years and remember how they spent their college breaks. They found that people “were much more likely to lament having had too much self-control than too little at this key moment in their youth. Their regret over the pleasures that they had missed from being too sensible, such as turning down the chance to travel, was much greater than any guilt over their moments of indulgence – the times they had skipped their studies, spent too much and acted irresponsibly.” Doesn’t that make you feel sad?
THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, PEOPLE!
You can blame the actual Puritans and their religious fanaticism or you can blame the demands of a capitalistic society or you could even blame your disapproving Uncle Fred, who never approved of your decision to major in Theater instead of Economics, but whoever or whatever is behind it is less important than the lesson we take from this: denying ourselves pleasure is dumb. Joy and fun and beauty are scarce resources in this world, so why the hell would we refuse them when we all clearly need more? THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE. And I’m happy to see it in the newspaper!
If there’s a puritan in your life (or in your head) trying to harsh your buzz, you can send them this. You can even refer, as the Guardian does, to “strategic indulgences” if that sounds more official.
Scientific studies often reinforce what we already know because that’s how science works: it tests hypotheses to find out if they’re valid or not. And these new studies just support what Iris Murdoch knew all along: “one of the secrets of a happy life is a series of continuous small treats.”
A truly good use of “infinity dollars”
Photo: David Williams, NYT
One of the best things about the USA is its Mexican restaurants. And the only thing better than a Mexican restaurant is a Mexican restaurant with live cliff divers. And the only thing better than a Mexican restaurant with live cliff divers is one that serves actually delicious Mexican food. Finally, in 2023, Denver, Colorado can claim to be the world leader in this rarefied category because (drumroll)… Casa Bonita is finally reopening, with the same cliff divers and newly delicious food!
In a bit of truly good news, the legendary and beloved institution that is Casa Bonita, a 52,000 sf extravaganza of beans & rice and good times that closed during the pandemic in 2020, is reopening with all the same ridiculous stuff, but this time less of a threat to public safety. Casa Bonita opened almost 50 years ago, the same year that Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency and Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought the Rumble in the Jungle: 1974.
Who’s responsible for this miracle? Two of Colorado’s favorite sons, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of the brilliant and mind-bogglingly successful animated TV series, South Park.
“The original cost of renovations was projected at $10 million,” the New York Times reported. “When the figure reached $20 million, business advisers encouraged Mr. Stone and Mr. Parker to pack it in. These days, Mr. Stone said, the investment was closer to ‘infinity dollars.’”
“As Mr. Parker put it, ‘It would be way cheaper if we just went hang gliding over volcanoes.’”
The grand reopening of Casa Bonita is a very real gift to the people of Colorado, particularly the families who have enjoyed its insanity for generations. My own son celebrated a birthday at CB and so have thousands of other children over the years.
Casa Bonita: plenty of fake Jack Daniels and Wild West firearms to go around in Black Bart’s Cave #goodwholesomefun
Stone and Parker’s restoration of Casa Bonita is the rare example of American multi-millionaires choosing to do something actually worthwhile with the obscene amount of money they’ve made. They joke about ‘hang gliding over volcanoes,” but even that would be less offensive than, say, spending $5.5 billion to fly 60 miles straight up in the air for a few minutes in the middle of a global health and economic crisis. At least Casa Bonita is open to the public.
“Mr. Parker and Mr. Stone, both native Coloradans… have spent upward of $40 million to tear it down, rebuild it and, they joke, to keep everything the same, except now sanitary.
“‘It doesn’t stink like chlorine anymore,’ Mr. Stone said in an interview in late May, during the final, frantic stretch to reopen. ‘We could have rebuilt this twice as big, for half as much money, but we spent so much restoring it, like a piece of art.’
“Mr. Parker added: ‘And the food is excellent.’”
At this point I should confess that I am somewhat biased when it comes to Matt Stone and Trey Parker. As a book critic who has reviewed a few different exposés of Scientology, I was informed in a letter from cult church officials that my name is now on a list of “known figures” who are “hostile” to the cult church, a list that also includes Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright, Emmy Award winning actor Leah Remini, and Tony-, Emmy-, and Grammy Award winners… Matt Stone and Trey Parker! None of these esteemed figures know who I am, but the point is: we’re all on the same team. And I like them.
I’m not saying Matt and Trey deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. But if you’re going to be absurdly wealthy, saving beloved and widely accessible local landmarks is not a bad place to start. Especially when it includes tacos.
One final Small Treat
Thanks so much for subscribing to Continuous Small Treats! Feel free to share this missive of good times with your friends and social networks. Wishing you the best—and continuous small treats— in the days ahead.
xo Buzzy