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Why Do People Like Crap?

Whether it be material items, television shows, novels of the month, top 40 music, food, or brand name labels, it seems that Americans love crap. Anything that doesn't take much thought to understand, to debate, to purchase, to even justify, seems to be the way of the world. Our desire for instant gratification has become so immense, that something as simple, and instant as making a cup of coffee or a sandwich has become a burden. The irony, of course, is the outside purchase take so much longer, more energy, and of course, money, to attain.

Just think of the average pot of coffee

From start to finish, it takes anywhere from 8-12 minutes.
It can be made while getting dressed, taking a shower, or feeding the kids.
Hell, nearly every coffee maker has a timer so it can be ready when you awake.
The average cost for a six-cup pot of coffee at home? About 15 cents.

Just think of your outdoor daily coffee purchase.

The time to drive, even if on your way, is a few extra minutes of waiting.
The cost, usually between $2-3 per cup
Then factot in the time you spent working to make that amount
Sounds like nothing, but if you make $10 per hour, you're spending 15 minutes of your pay

And let's be honest: There are few cups of coffee bought outside of the house that can compare to buying your own and brewing it at home.

But it doesn't stop at coffee. Why does an ugly design or pattern on a shirt make a $6 tee shirt suddenly cost $40 or more? What do you gain in prestige by wearing this shirt? What about household items? In a year, will anyone care where you bought your sofa or loveseat? Books, movies, music have become so uniform, I can't tell them apart. Is it Transformers 3 or The Hunger Games 2? Why do action films have such shallow character development? Why do novels follow the same patterns? Why does so much of today's music sound exactly alike? Wasn't this the argument against rap music in the 90s?

Why has being unique become hipster, millennial, out-of-date? Why is modeling one's self after everyone else become so embraced? Why has trendy become so generic?

Hell, we even revolt and resist the same way!



Comments

  1. ChowMarch 21, 2019 at 10:10 AM

    Re: Our love affair or rather need for instant gratification, too many of us don't get that it's the journey not the destination ... the joy is in the journey
    Full disclosure these are not my original quotes/slogans

    Re: The need to accumulate crap, that can be attributed to shitty taste ;-) but also more importantly think about a mouse on a wheel. We attempt to fill the bottomless holes within our selves with stuff. This just increases the constant need for more. Filling the hole can only be done from the inside out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hop's ThoughtsMarch 25, 2019 at 7:58 AM

      I do sometimes think my changing my ways has left me a little jaded when I see people doing the most normal (American) things. My current, and this is now going on way too long, financial state, has left me much more thoughtful than frugal, but it also has made me realize I never got any joy out of stuff and refuse to impulse buy, other than food. Sure, I still waste money on drinks and tipping, but I do so to preserve my sanity, often just to get away from the collectors in this world. It's funny living in a house that isn't yours, looking everywhere and with the exception of cooking utensils and appliances, there's not a single thing I'd want and without question, nothing I'd need. I do think we're never happy and this need to fill emptiness with stuff has become normal, but is it normal? I'd like to think my minimalist approach will one day pay off for me. Now, it's more out of necessity, but I like it.

      Delete

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