As humans, there's a great deal more of acquiring things that we want in life, as opposed to things that we need. Here is a quick list of five of these items; things which can be found in the everyday lives of humans which, really, serve no purpose.
1. Pets
Hear me out. I'm not talking about dogs, cats and messenger owls, because I think they can serve very real, very helpful purposes. I'm talking about the rodents, the fish and the birds. Creatures that live their entire -- short -- lives in a rather small, enclosed space. They provide no physical comfort to us (try cuddling with a goldfish and let me know how it goes), they cannot hunt anything and they probably don't enjoy their own lives very much, being cooped up for our entertainment. And yet birds can be found in over 3 million American households, fish in over 7 million, and rodents in over 2 million (2012 American Veterinary Medical Association). Doesn't make sense.
2. Eating
When was the last time you were hungry? Like actually, genuinely hungry? I think a great deal of people living in both America and other developed countries don't actually know what true hunger is. It seems to me now that many of us just eat for the sake of eating. Or perhaps I'm just projecting my own inability to cease ingestion on the rest of the world. But I used to ask a friend this question when he'd ask about food; are you actually hungry, or just bored? And I think many of us would be surprised at how often the answer is the latter.
3. Decorative candles
I. Hate. Decorative candles. It's like buying a book, sticking it on your shelf, and never reading it, because it's just for decoration. Where is the sense in that??? These items were made with a purpose, and the only satisfaction in their mediocre, material lives is to fulfill that purpose. And when you buy decorative candles, or even worse, buy candles to use just for decoration, you DENY them that right. It's inhumane, is what it is.
4. Black Friday
Let's get one thing straight here. When you go to a store to buy something purely because it is on sale, you are not saving money. You aren't. Because you're buying something. Sure it was more expensive before, but you weren't buying it before -- you're just buying it now because it's on sale. You're still spending money that you were not spending before. This has always irked me, and it seems completely nonsensical. The Black Friday plague is its own other thing entirely, but that's a different article.
5. Facebook comments
Unfortunately, no one cares. No one cares especially when you're being rude. Facebook debates are pointless and unpleasant for everyone involved. And yet when we see that raging Republican post something we don't like about gun control, we feel such an intense desire to rip their argument to shreds that we can't help ourselves-......I may be projecting again.
Next time you pine after one of these things, maybe think twice about how much they actually or add to -- or even detract from -- your life.
