A man's simple list of "9 Delights" went viral—then changed a stranger's life years later

What truly matters in life? Philosophers have pondered this for centuries, debating theories from Stoicism’s embrace of virtue and resilience, to Humanism’s celebration of empathy and human connection, to Utilitarianism’s pursuit of happiness for the greatest number. But sometimes, the most profound insights come from the simplest sources.

Four years ago, X user (formerly Twitter) Brooks Otterlake (@i_zzzzzz) casually tweeted a brief philosophy he called "The Nine Delights." The concept was straightforward yet powerful: "Inventing a new lifestyle philosophy called ‘The Nine Delights,’ where each day, you try to experience at least three of the nine delights."

His delightful list includes walking around, fellowship, deliciousness, transcendence, goofing, amelioration (improving something gradually), coitus, enthrallment, and "WILDCARD."

  Stoic statueCanva

The idea resonated immediately, receiving thousands of bookmarks and enthusiastic responses. Users commented things like, "Huge fan and long-time practitioner since I screenshotted this in 2021," and another wrote, "I reflect on this daily and am so happy when I discover a delight happened to me unexpectedly."

One of the most touching responses came from a user known as "Expert Bimbologist," who, nearly four years later, declared how profoundly the list impacted her life: "Cannot emphasize how much this actually, truly, changed my life. Been living by The Nine Delights for years, and it’s basically a religion to me. It can actually be this simple."

  A family makes heart shapes with their hands at sunset

She shared a personalized, handwritten version of Otterlake's list, color-coded and thoughtfully annotated:

• Walking Around — Self-explanatory
• Fellowship — Hanging out with friends
• Deliciousness — Have a yummy lil’ treat
• Transcendence — Feeling you've "leveled up"
• Goofing — Have a good laugh
• Amelioration — Working toward betterment or improving a skill
• Coitus — F*ckin'
• Enthrallment — Deeply engaging or hyper-focusing
• WILDCARD — Any other delightful moment

Her tweet echoed across the internet, reminding thousands of others about the simple joys easily overlooked in daily life.

These reflections call to mind singer-songwriter Warren Zevon’s memorable advice shared shortly before his death in 2003. When asked by David Letterman what he learned facing terminal illness, Zevon simply replied, “I learned to enjoy every sandwich.”

Perhaps Otterlake’s "Nine Delights" and Zevon’s sandwiches share a similar lesson: life's true happiness often lies hidden in the smallest, simplest moments—waiting for us to notice them.

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This article originally appeared earlier this year.