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WhyNow's avatar

What is luxury?

Asked by WhyNow (2839points) June 8th, 2022
19 responses
“Great Question” (3points)

Strictly from a sensory point… example… cool wind on a hot day.
Hot lips on a cool day. Alert, I might steal your ideas!

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zenvelo's avatar

I wouldn’t call those sensations as luxuries. They are available to anyone regardless of their lot in life.

Luxury is anything one can enjoy without concern for cost and without depriving oneself of a necessity.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

A product or service that one wants and doesn’t need.

WhyNow's avatar

@zenvelo Exactly why I gave those examples that I did… Maybe I should rephrase my Q
If I can figure out how…

zenvelo's avatar

@WhyNow Those are serendipitous occurrences.

WhyNow's avatar

^^Spoken like a true lawyer!

Zaku's avatar

I think zenvelo and RedDeerGuy1 are responding about a different definition of luxury than the one you are asking about. You are not asking about whether it’s necessary or not, or whether they’re exclusive or not, or what the cost is.

And, the word luxury does not need to mean that.

I think you mean uncommonly enjoyable sensory pleasures and delights.

And, are you mainly asking for examples, rather than definitions?

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

@Zaku Maybe it is a scarce delight? A cool wind on a sunny day.

longgone's avatar

Getting into a hot bath when you’re really cold. Some music that sounds just really sweet, for me it’s a certain part of Pachelbel’s Canon. Warm, molten chocolate. A deep tissue massage. Sleeping in the sun. Water when you wake up from thirst. Crusty bread with delicious cheese when you’re hungry. Zooming downhill on a bike, preferably through puddles. A dog resting his head on you. Smelling the scents wafting out of a bakery in the morning. Ice bath for your feet on a hot day.

Zaku's avatar

Good examples, @longgone !

Some relevant secondary definitions of luxury and related words, such as:

luxury:
. . .
2a : something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary one of life’s luxuries
b : an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease

luxurious
. . .
2 : pleasure loving : fond of luxury or self-indulgence

luxuriate:
. . .
2 : to indulge oneself luxuriously : revel

WhyNow's avatar

Thank You Zaku and Longgone… I will try to phrase my Q better.

Luxury to me is an indulgence that can be… divorced of price. My grandparents
tho very wealthy indulge in old world ways that still astounds me!

My grandma bakes a loaf of bread every Friday… and oooh
that first bite… so as a science project I invited my friends to see if they felt
what I felt and they all melted… just like me.

Now I collect these ‘epicurean’ earthly delights. Sometimes very
expensive sometimes ethereal even non tangible.

Zaku's avatar

Yes, good real bread is one of my favorite things, and one of the things I get from local sources every week. Non-industrial fruits and vegetables. My favorite coffee beans made in a good way. The evening air, and breezes when it’s warm out. Spending time in the forest, or by a river, or the ocean. Etc.

JLeslie's avatar

I say all the time, space is a luxury. Like having a large home. Although, it can get too big and stop feeling luxurious.

Others:

Not having to work.

Very well made items.

Very comfortable furniture.

Very comfortable fabric.

longgone's avatar

Seconding soft, comfortable fabric. Really good pizza provides a lot of sensory pleasure. Sand (kinetic sand!) Play dough. Running your hands through a tub of birdseed. And a bed is a pretty luxurious thing in and of itself.

Nomore_Tantrums's avatar

Being able to do some good in the world from a philanthropic view, and not worry about money. As long your wife and offspring’s needs are met, break a leg, but charity begins at home.

Zaku's avatar

Bare feet in sand at the dunes or the beach. Bare feet in the water. Bare feet in the grass or on the earth (at least, where it’s not painful).

Just being someplace where no one can see you.

Living someplace where no one close has a view of your house or yard.

Being able to make as much noise as you want, without disturbing anyone.

Nomore_Tantrums's avatar

Or, being able to have some coffee on your back porch and not heave the neighbors yapping ass dogs barking at you.

WhyNow's avatar

It seems that being rich does not require a ton of money.

flutherother's avatar

A luxury is something nice that is artificial and costs money. A cool breeze on a hot day isn’t really a luxury, it is better than that. A luxury would be top notch air conditioning, but I would prefer the breeze.

WhyNow's avatar

@flutherother You are exactly describing my ex girlfriend!
Nice (check) Artificial (check) Cost money (check)
Gave good breeze (double check!!)

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