We’ve just crossed the Aegean Sea and reached the Greek island of Santorini, the newest fishery in Fishing Clash. Let’s take a breath before we cast our rods into the azure-blue waters: enjoying the scenery is one of the reasons why we’re here, after all. This crescent-shaped island is a remnant of a massive volcanic eruption that happened over 3,600 years ago. That eruption, one of the biggest in the history of civilization, left behind a large caldera, a sunken crater now filled by the sea, and formed one of the most picturesque destinations in the Mediterranean.

The views in Santorini are magnificent, regardless of whether we visit to catch some fish or sample a bit of Greek culture. As we look around, we notice buildings scattered atop the steep cliffs. Most are painted white, while some have blue rooftops, together forming the color pair Greece is known for around the world. The blue domes we see here are characteristic features of traditional Cycladic architecture, initially inspired by religious tradition and designed to harmonize aesthetically with the surrounding sea and sky. These iconic symbols of Santorini and other Greek islands invite us to ponder why we’re drawn to such beautiful locations in the first place. Greece is, after all, the birthplace of philosophy, so let us consider beauty and contemplate a few shades of blue.

Like moths to a big blue flame

The 19th-century French novelist, Stendhal, said that “beauty is the promise of happiness“, a thought that echoes throughout our today’s musings. Attraction to beauty seems to be an inherently human trait, and in places like Santorini, this is clearly visible. Tourists arrive here from afar to experience a slice of the Greek lifestyle, wind down, and bask in the island’s charm and its sun as it gorgeously sets. There are many reasons to come here, many of which involve briefly abandoning our usual to-do lists, great ambitions, and the not-yet-completed goals. Our change of scenery brings respite and infuses us with elegance, yes, but if we’re lucky, it also teaches us something new: we discover a novel way of life that we pick up from the locals.

The rich Mediterranean diet, daily physical activity, and a restful lifestyle are combined here with a flourishing community in a low-stress environment. This all creates a health-promoting and life-prolonging cocktail to which we’re irresistibly and often unconsciously drawn. The components that create it have been spotted all around the globe, in various parts of the world. The drink that we ultimately get doesn’t consist of blue curaçao, but results in something else that features today’s themed color: a blue zone!

Blue zones are regions where people are claimed to live far beyond the age of 100, due to a combination of factors: physical activity, low stress, rich social interactions, and a local whole foods diet. One of such zones has been spotted at the neighboring island of Ikaria, just 100 miles away from Santorini, and stars in the 2023 Netflix documentary, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. The documentary finds a few common threads between places like the Greek Ikaria, Japanese Okinawa, Italian Sardinia, and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. It looks like what we observe here and in similar locations isn’t just a beautiful packaging that’s appealing to our senses, but also towards a hidden common sense, it seems. Is living a slower, happier life contributing to our longevity? Impossible! Preposterous!

The blue collar of unsolicited advice

Saying that happiness isn’t a one-size-fits-all is a statement similar in strength and accuracy to one claiming that there are several fish in the sea. Yes, probably. One of the more renowned stories about advice is that of a fisherman and a businessman. The story speaks of a businessman on vacation who noticed a fisherman and praised his haul. The businessman asked how many fish the man catches throughout the day and proceeded to hand him the various hacks the fisherman should deploy to increase his monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue. At no extra cost, the businessman suggested hiring workers, cutting the middlemen, opening daughter companies, and announcing the IPOs. All of that, so the fisherman could finally, after years of toil, retire to a fishing village, much like the one they’re currently in, and to catch a few fish a day. To live the life he’s currently living.

It’s possible we won’t find much use for the discoveries related to the blue zones in our everyday lives, even if they’re scientifically proven, much like the fisherman from our story won’t suddenly reconstruct his entire existence based on the Wall Street-tested business advice. It’s not malice or even untrustworthiness, but a difference of perspectives: we come from different backgrounds and stroll towards different futures. We won’t, nor even want to, orient our lives around catching just a few fish each day or making a great business out of doing so. Visiting places of beauty, like Santorini, is but a visit. One that may inspire us to make a greater change, but usually (and hopefully) not during the holiday trip itself

The final sliver of wisdom, one that may steer us towards happiness better, also comes from Greece, but its ancient counterpart. There, we learn about the concept of striving towards one’s own greatness, something called eudaimonia, in which happiness is achieved primarily by knowing ourselves. This dusty old notion serves us pretty well in our times of Fishing Clash on our phones, thousands of possible holiday destinations, and nearly a million self-help books written on the subject of our betterment. Beauty may very well be our promise of happiness, but combining what makes us happy with our ability to achieve it seems like more than just a promise. Still, before we embark on the journey of finding happiness or fulfilling any promises, it’s best to know where we’re actually headed. After all, we won’t all agree on what we find beautiful, so our destinations may vary.

The blue skies ahead

Before we make any inquiries about the depths and nooks of our characters (through online personality tests or otherwise) or check if there are any cheap flights available to Greece, let’s open Fishing Clash and admire the new Santorini fishery. This fishing season will be a treat to anyone deeply in love with Greek aesthetics, modern or ancient. The Fishing Quest, our new feature rising in popularity, is also making a return, but this time in a very intriguing form. What’s that one river you’re not very happy to see during your lifetime? Best not to capsize your boats in these waters, Anglers! 💀