For example, consider the elements that go into a warm and cozy home. If you have decently insulated walls and a space sealed against drafts and the invasion of cold air, the heat source itself fades into the background of the consciousness, especially if you have some sort of gas or electric heating that doesn't need to be supervised. It is all working together and you are comfortable and you are afforded the ability to turn your attention on other things. Again, this is what we actually want.
When things are going wrong, the thing to do is isolate the effects of what is influencing you, so that you can tell what's good. When your walls are paper thin and the cold is setting in, and you are working with wood fire for example, you really get to know the fire and whether it is good for you or waning and going out.
You get to know the fire as a close friend: you are constantly gauging its moods, feeding it and tending to it to ensure that it is giving back to you. The performance of the wood is so variable. There are differing variables that contribute to the path it takes to burn. Is it punky (rotten) or firm? Still a little green and full of moisture? Well-seasoned and dense with high BTU? Is the fire hot enough to break down those big chunks? Is it split and combusting quickly? Is it burning hot and clean or wet and smoky? Is it producing hot coals or is it petering out, and etc.
It takes more work and attention, but when the fire is sustained and humming, and radiating that heat against the encroaching cold, it is good. And it watches over you as you go to sleep; a good friend.
