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Ian Bogost argues that our obsession with optimizing every aspect of life—from fitness to vacations—has stolen our ability to be present. He proposes that cultivating wonder in ordinary moments, rather than chasing extraordinary experiences, is the way to reclaim a life actually worth living.
- Optimization culture started in 19th-century industry but has leaked into personal life, turning even leisure into metrics to maximize (calories, credit-card points, reading streaks), which destroys the ability to experience the present moment.
- Wonder doesn't require rare experiences or travel—people report finding it in mundane things like watching ants, old appliances, or the mechanics of a toilet, once they stop treating the world as equipment to use.
- The shift from optimizing work so we could live freely to optimizing life itself means we've stopped asking what activities are *for* and only ask how to do them faster, which depletes meaning.