The Joy of Touching Grass (and Knobs, Buttons, and Boarding Passes)
Summary
Brett McKay interviews Ian Bogost about his book *The Small Stuff*, which explores the sensory gratification found in everyday physical interactions like using a manual transmission or handling a paper menu. Bogost distinguishes this immediate, tactile pleasure from broader happiness and satisfaction, arguing that modern automation and digitization are eroding these meaningful connections to the material world. He suggests reclaiming this "dematerialized" life by accepting these small moments of engagement rather than treating them as chores.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Shopify and Factor Meals
Introduction to Ian Bogost and The Small Stuff
The nostalgia of manual transmissions and tactile engagement
Defining happiness, satisfaction, and gratification
Gratification as acceptance rather than forced attention
How automation and convenience reduce gratifying experiences
The loss of physical controls in cars and vending machines
Finding delight in small goals and minor mistakes
Sponsors: Indeed, ButcherBox, Chime, and Superpower
The decline of tactile engagement in white-collar work
Sensory memories of typewriters and embossed credit cards
Andy Rooney, gripes, and noticing the material world
Keeping junk and detritus for sensory variety
The gratification of physical boarding passes
Talking about small pleasures to normalize them
Orthogonality in sensory experiences and conclusion
Sponsor: Flexcar
Listen ad-free on Castria