EFML: On Hygge and qualia
This article is not edited or proofread. I am too tired for any of that today, so I am sending it out into the world raw. :)
Hygge, qualia- Both of these words are from two different books I read recently. If you're a regular reader of mine, you might already have noticed my obsession with words, especially ones that are obscure and convey something that isn't present currently.
Hygge is of Danish origin. The author (of the book I read), who works at the Happiness Research Institute, talks about this word in great detail, for the length of the entire book. He stresses that it is untranslatable in several languages, that the closest we can get to it English is coziness, but that it is so much more.
Qualia(singular:quale) is a word that I encountered in a book about neuroscience(Phantoms in the brain by V.S Ramachandran if you're wondering), and it stands for instances of subjective, conscious experiences. Since the author has done a much better job than I can in explaining this, let me borrow his words:
Assume I am an intellectually highly advanced, color-blind martian. I study your brain and completely figure out down to every last detail what happens in your brain—all the physico-chemical events—when you see red light of wavelength 600 and say "red". You know that my scientific description, although complete from my point of view, leaves out something ineffable and essentially non-communicable, namely your actual experience of redness. There is no way you can communicate the ineffable quality of redness to me short of hooking up your brain directly to mine without air waves intervening. We can define qualia as that aspect of your experience that is left out by me—the color-blind Martian.
Hygge, qualia- Both of these words are from two different books I read recently. If you're a regular reader of mine, you might already have noticed my obsession with words, especially ones that are obscure and convey something that isn't present currently.
Hygge is of Danish origin. The author (of the book I read), who works at the Happiness Research Institute, talks about this word in great detail, for the length of the entire book. He stresses that it is untranslatable in several languages, that the closest we can get to it English is coziness, but that it is so much more.
Qualia(singular:quale) is a word that I encountered in a book about neuroscience(Phantoms in the brain by V.S Ramachandran if you're wondering), and it stands for instances of subjective, conscious experiences. Since the author has done a much better job than I can in explaining this, let me borrow his words:
Assume I am an intellectually highly advanced, color-blind martian. I study your brain and completely figure out down to every last detail what happens in your brain—all the physico-chemical events—when you see red light of wavelength 600 and say "red". You know that my scientific description, although complete from my point of view, leaves out something ineffable and essentially non-communicable, namely your actual experience of redness. There is no way you can communicate the ineffable quality of redness to me short of hooking up your brain directly to mine without air waves intervening. We can define qualia as that aspect of your experience that is left out by me—the color-blind Martian.
This particular explanation was amazingly insightful. It showed me how several things are lost in translation, because sometimes words aren't just enough. Sure, they're accurate, but they don't do justice to an experience.
Maybe hygge is one of those words. Therefore, instead of embarking on the difficult task of using other words to describe this to you, I will do the opposite. I will give you experiences that are hyggelit and then you can derive from them the meaning of the word for yourself. (Maybe this is how children understand words- deriving their meaning from qualia) Since I am writing this, the examples will be my personal experiences.
My favorite hygge spot in my home: the balcony. It comes with an amazing view, greenery stretching out as far as you can see. Depending on the time of year, you might also see trees laden with bright orange flowers. If you look down, eleven floors below, you will see a blue pool, the water reflecting light brilliantly. You will see kids engaged in various games, their cheerful yelling muted into a distant din by the height. This is my favorite spot because it makes me feel so cozy without being in the thick of things. Sometimes, I stand here quietly, just absorbing the sights and sounds, clearing my mind of everything.
My favorite hygge moments of the day: coffee and sunset. I am a huge lover of coffee, and one of the luxuries of my everyday life is drinking, nay, savoring that piping hot mug of sweet strong coffee. I sip on it like it is the elixir of life, which I suppose it is for me. There is nothing like it, and it is so full of hygge- warmth, comfort and happiness.
Sunset- this is again something I have never grown used to. If I am at home, you'd usually find me sitting on a recliner overlooking the balcony, probably typing away on my laptop. I suddenly look up, and I catch the light fading away, casting orange beams all around, catch the birds flying homeward, sounding their evening calls. Lights flicker on in about every building I can see, and night slowly sets in. There is something extremely serene about being home in time to watch the sunset, to have the time to watch this transition of nature while you are encased in a cozy space.
My favorite hygge activity: No prizes for guessing, reading. I love the days where I can just read, and do nothing else. I love being lost in worlds that I do not inhabit, that I cannot even imagine, worlds that fascinate me and broaden my horizons. Isn't it magical that paper with tiny black squiggles can take you on such wonderful journeys? It is one of those things that costs very little, but is worth so much. If you were to ask me what my treasures in life were, they would be words that I have read and words that I write.(The latter is still a work in progress, but the former at least I fully believe.)
Hygge is all this and more, rather hygge is the qualia that these experiences bring you. Hygge is that moment when you wake up and feel happy about another day. Hygge is about eating a piping hot snack when it's raining outside. Hygge is a warm hug from the people you love. Hygge is the faint traces of perfume from an old jacket you have. It is whatever you make of it, in whatever form you choose. It is slightly different from happiness, but it is the color in life. The vividness in the mundanity. The warmth in every place, action and experience.
Would love to hear what my Reader's versions of hygge are. Do leave a comment! :)
P.S: For more on qualia:
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