I would like to preface this article by stating that I have a pretty cool Economics teacher. I would dare say that Econ is one of my absolute favorite classes, both because of the material and quite honestly also because of how naturally it all falls together. A couple lessons ago, however, my teacher taught us about diminishing marginal utility. Basically, that is the phenomenon where something becomes less useful with each new unit that is consumed, which is perfectly understandable. If I were to eat a couple Oreos, everything thing would be fine and good, but if I gorged myself on them, they would become less delicious with each one.

But then my teacher wanted to apply the concept further. He described what it feels like to hold someone's hand for the first time. He talked about how special it is and how it makes your heart race- and how after that first time, the rest of the times you held someone else's hand just fall short. He said that the more you hold other hands, the less special they become compared to the very first hand that you held.

That was when I looked down at my hand, looked up, and internally cringed. As much sense as the law of diminishing marginal utility makes in relation to products, it makes no sense in relation to much else, especially not love. It is my firm belief that love and life flourish because of repetition. They develop their purest forms when things become habitual and only grow more intense as time progresses.

Repetition can be beautiful. I say this because, in my own life, nothing sounds better than extending my hand out to someone who's already reaching out as well. I can understand some people's fears. We've been taught that too much of a good thing is bad for you, but love and life are not candy bars. They are essentials. The first time someone held my hand, I doubt that they felt anything more than nervous. They didn't want to hold my hand because it was mine. They just wanted that physical contact. They just wanted to be able to say that they did.

That's not beautiful to me.

I don't want to live in a world where the most special person is the one who did something first. Instead, I think we should look at the person who holds your hand everyday. We should relish the one who feels strange without your hand in their own. That's who is special- the one who continues to be there for you, no matter how long they've been doing it. The special one is who will always reach out for you and enjoy doing it.

Economics is wonderful. It combines money with sociology and politics, as well as history. It explains so many concepts within the realm of money that make so much sense to me. But it doesn't account for love. But me? Well, I always do.