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In his 2022 essay on how to want less, Arthur C. Brooks recalls a line from Ralph Waldo Emerson about the dangers of thinking that a new shiny thing or place will fix life’s problems. “At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness,” Emerson wrote in his essay “Self-Reliance.” “I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from.”
Staying home might not readily provide the intoxicating beauty Emerson describes. But once you give in to spending the day inside—with a good movie, or the right book, or just dancing around the kitchen with your loved ones—you’ll find that beauty exists there too. As those experiences add up, you may even come to see your everyday surroundings in a new way, as a place for adventure rather than just stasis. Today’s newsletter explores how to create joy, no matter how many or how few plans you have for the weekend and the summer.
Enjoying Home
Five Books That Will Redirect Your Attention
By Rhian Sasseen
When malaise strikes, a book can break the spell—if you choose the right one. (From 2025)
How to Want Less
By Arthur C. Brooks
The secret to satisfaction has nothing to do with achievement, money, or stuff. (From 2022)
Boredom Is the Price We Pay for Meaning
By Daniel Smith
When I became a father, I was forced to reckon with the emotion that consumed my days.
Still Curious?
- Your summer project is watching these movies: Twelve franchises, genres, and filmographies to dig into
- How to make life feel a little nicer: Last year, readers gave Elaine Godfrey their tips for seeking out small moments of joy.
Other Diversions
- The father of American pop music turns 200
- The $10,000 Macbook Pro is here.
- Movies are good, actually.
PS
I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. Carol G, 58, sent this photo of orchids at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.
I’ll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks.
— Isabel
The post How to Find Joy on a Quiet Day in appeared first on The Atlantic.
