A 2x2 crosshairs pie chart describing four realms for how people process experience

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been reading the 2023 book by James C. Maxwell titled The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication. On page 117, in a section of the sixth chapter titled Put the Body on the Bones, he displays a 2x2 crosshairs pie chart from another book, which is shown above in my colorized version. The text says that:

 

“B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, who wrote The Experience Economy, describe the way people process experiences based on whether they are active or passive and whether they ‘absorb’ the experience or are immersed in it. They describe what they call the four experience realms: entertainment, educational, escapist, and esthetic…  

 

Entertainment occurs when people passively absorb the experience, such as watching a concert or reading a book. An educational experience also focuses on absorbing an experience, but in addition, the participants are actively engaged in mind, body, or both. People learning skills in a classroom or on a field learning to play soccer have this experience. An escapist experience is both immersive and active, such as when people visit theme parks, gamble in casinos, or play computer games. Esthetic experiences are immersive but passive, leaving no physical effect on their environment. Examples include gazing at the Grand Canyon or viewing an art exhibit.

 

…The richest experiences encompass aspects of all four realms. These center on the ‘sweet spot’ in the middle of the framework.”

 

Those four realms of experience also are in the earlier, 1999 book, titled The Experience Economy – Work Is Theatre and Every Business a Stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And they began with an article by Pine and Gilmore in the July August 1998 issue of the Harvard Business Review titled Welcome to the Experience Economy. But, back then, as shown above in my colorized version, the graphic was a donut chart rather than a pie chart. That was despite stating:

 

“Generally, we find that the richest experiences—such as going to Disney World or gambling in a Las Vegas casino—encompass aspects of all four realms, forming a ‘sweet spot’ around the area where the spectra meet.”