QotD: Five Senses
If you had to give up one of your five senses, which one would it be?
I would have to deal with the loss of a sense through adaptation. However, there are some senses that would be more challenging to live without than other senses. There is also a safety factor to deal with, as each sense provides a warning system for one to avoid danger. Along with safety, there needs to be a recognition of those people that do not have a choice in being without a sense because no matter what I ponder here, I cannot fully fathom what it may be like to be without one or more of the following senses.
Putting those things aside for the sake of discussion, let’s see if I can figure this out.
Sight: I rely on sight probably the most of all the senses and probably cling to this one the most. Putting aside basic daily seeing, I do a lot of reading, watching, and looking at everything. Sight is a major part of a mindfulness meditation practice I do daily. I would have to do a major adjustment on many aspects of my life if I could no longer see.
Touch: This is probably one sense I do not think much about, so I could probably get by without it. However, since I do not think that much about it, I might miss this one the most. Perhaps I should work on being mindful of touch, since it will become a major factor in my Holistic Health practice.
Hearing: I do not have great hearing and I do crave quiet in what is a rather noisy world. However, simple sounds like a soft bell, nature, and a piano do deeply influence my being.
Smell: I can barely smell as it is, so this might not be difficult to lose. However, on those times I can smell something, it engulfs me and demands my attention. I tend to vividly remember particular smells and the circumstances that accompany those smells.
Taste: I could live without taste as well, though it might not be fun. As a lover of all types of food, I would have to let go of all those tastes I like to experience.
I would probably give up smell. However, this would greatly hinder my ability to taste. Therefore, it would be like losing two senses. Knowing that, I would probably choose touch and deal with an unknown quantity of loss.
Comments
I agree with you on many points. I could never give up sight or hearing due to aesthetic as well as practical considerations.
And giving up smell really would hinder taste. You're right about that. But unless one has decided to lead a celibate lifestyle, giving up touch would, for me at least, be as bad as giving up sight and hearing. Touch is such an intricate aspect of romance. And, again for me, romance is foundational to my life. So I think I would probably give up taste. Getting rid of taste would not seem to have that double-effect that getting rid of smell would: you could still smell without taste (I think). And I don't eat that much anyways.