The iPod Shuffle has simply figured out that unexpected pleasure is at times far more gratifying than planned satisfaction

Much attention has been given to the new iPod Shuffle: for only $99, 120 songs, played in a random way. What’s so great about that?? Ohhhh, that’s the iPod I would like to have!

I remember the days (many decades ago) when they would play my favorite song on the radio and I would be insanely happy… even though I had the 45 rpm at home and could play it anytime. So spontaneously there, springing a surprise. Or, when, on an impulse, someone calls and spins a brilliant plan to eat, to do something, to take a trip around the world. Because they just thought of it and it seemed in that second right. And chances are it was.

The NYT pairing of the story (today, Week in Review) on the iPod and the book "Blink," where the author argues that “our instant decisions can be better than those born of long contemplation,” was clever indeed. True, I could too easily be accused of being a rather impulsive type, but this isn’t a post that seeks to justify past spontaneity on my part. I only want to put in a good word for impulse and randomness and blink decisions and wave a flag of hope that knocks down the last sentence of the Times piece where Bennahum (writer for Wired and Slate) is touted as having said this:

“…your rational process of making sense of things is a model that may be obsolete…’Life is random’ is a really great way of shrugging your shoulders in a Buddhist way of nonattachment.” “It’s kind of grim actually,” Mr. Bennahum added.

No it’s not. Realizing that joy can be born of randomness as well, is hardly a crushing discovery.