Texture adds significantly to our interpretation of reality

It's often overlooked, yet enjoyed daily by absolutely everyone. It rarely gets the recognition it deserves, so today it's all about showing gratitude to that one thing: texture.

It's present in the perfectly fluffy and dry towel that actually absorbs and don't just look it. It's the al dente pasta that you can feel on your teeth, unlike that soggy macaroni alla scuola finlandese, which is an excellent example of unpleasant texture. There's silky texture in freshly shaved legs and there's addicting texture in bubble wrap. Texture is the surface of your teeth that you comb with your tongue after you have brushed, and texture is in the grass between your toes and the tree bark beneath your hand. Texture is important when eating and crucial when dieting: low-carbs don't include many properly crunchy things that are enjoyable (celery is so not one of them). It's also the reason your favorite toilet paper is what it is and also why your least favorite is what it is.

It's even hiding in the aesthetics that add to our daily lives; when something looks nice, it's often because the texture seems appealing. Texture is even in architecture, or at least hiding in the word waiting to be an essential part of any architectural project.

Image: pixabay.com

Texture can create a whole picture in your mind. Or have you ever tried to find something at the bottom of your bag where you can't see, but you know what you're touching judging by the different surfaces and densities of the objects that come your way? 

As you can tell, texture builds on tremendously to our experience of the outside world and contributes greatly to our happiness through our senses. Things always are more real when you get to touch them and not just look at them through your screen. It's one of the reasons why when we order things online sometimes end up disappointing us. 

Texture at our fingertips adds significantly to our interpretation of reality. Getting to touch the gadget you've ogled online and have wanted for so long feels satisfying partly because how we imagined it would feel aligns with the incoming sensory data. Afterwards it's easier to visualize the gadget, because you have palpable information about it stored in your brain. Texture simply makes the things you know to be real somehow more real.

Texture is the why you enjoy feeling and holding some things and dislike others and for that reason alone I am incredibly grateful for its existence in all of its glory.