Mince Pie Appreciation

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carson

"Aponia" (Ancient Greek: ἀπονία) means the absence of pain, and was regarded by the Epicureans to be the height of bodily pleasure. The Epicureans defined pleasure as the absence of pain (mental and physical), and hence pleasure can only increase until the point in which pain is absent.[1] Beyond this, pleasure cannot increase further, and indeed one cannot rationally seek bodily pleasure beyond the state of aponia.[2] For Epicurus, aponia was one of the static (katastematic) pleasures,[3] that is, a pleasure one has when there is no want or pain to be removed.[4] To achieve such a state, one has to experience kinetic pleasures, that is, a pleasure one has when want or pain is being removed.[4]

so if you don't know the pain of not having mince pies for 11 months of the year, you're unlikely to experience the true pleasure of them during their proper season.

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mespilus in reply to @carson

That appears to be based upon some positivist thinking, that the spectrum of 'mince pies' only exists from zero, the absence of mince pies, to the blissful state of possessing mince pies.
However, all true mincers have experienced the enduring dismay of a substandard mince pie, a state of negativity, worse than being bereft of a mince pie.
For year round devotees, we need a balancing list of execrable brands. These can be invoked to revitalise a jaded/blissful palate that has gorged on 5* mince pies.

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