6
THE FLOW
OF THOUGHT
The good things in life do not come only through the senses. Some
of the most exhilarating experiences we undergo are generated inside
the mind, triggered by information that challenges our ability to think,
rather than from the use of sensory skills. As Sir Francis Bacon noted
almost four hundred years ago, wonder—which is the seed of knowl
edge—is the reflection of the purest form of pleasure. Just as there are
flow activities corresponding to every physical potential of the body,
every mental operation is able to provide its own particular form of
enjoyment.
Among the many intellectual pursuits available, reading is cur
rently perhaps the most often mentioned flow activity around the world.
Solving mental puzzles is one of the oldest forms of enjoyable activity,
the precursor of philosophy and modern science. Some individuals have
become so skilled at interpreting musical notation that they no longer
need to listen to the actual notes to enjoy a piece of music, and prefer
reading the score of a symphony to hearing it. The imaginary sounds
dancing in their minds are more perfect than any actual performance
could be. Similarly, people who spend much time with art come to
appreciate increasingly the affective, historical, and cultural aspects of
the work they are viewing, occasionally more than they enjoy its purely
visual aspects. As one professional involved in the arts expressed it:
“[Works of] art that I personally respond to... have behind them a
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