Ways of Thinking

Sorry for the long delay in posts.  Life happens and sometimes writing occurs in other forms.

There is an interesting paradox in the thinking of our culture.  

More and more, items for consumers - from electronics to food products - are being marketed as easy, convenient, time-saving and the like.  Occam's Razor rules in many regards; making things simple sells.

However, there is still a persistent mindset that things complicated, projects done 'the hard way' contain an inherent quality that makes them better in some regard.  If the job is too easy, obviously, it is worth less.

And again we come up against a binary opposition in our culture.  (For the record, by "our" I am referring to Western First World.  I am well aware that my observations may not hold outside of that reference.)  The binary opposition is one of simple/complex.  The curious thing is the way that positive and negative aspects of this opposition seem to get tangled.  The easy way is not always the best way; the hard way is not always the right way - the reverse also holds true.  Could it be that we are actually looking at something in a situational manner for once?

Of course things are situational.  Any problem needs to be approached as its own entity - such is common sense.  But how often do we actually do this?  Ever felt a task too easy for its reward, or needlessly complicated for the gain?

We all fall into certain ways of thinking.  We label problems before we have come up with their solutions.  This is not even taking into account the taboo fact that certain tasks are easier or harder for different people.  All are not created nor trained nor educated equally.

So why?  Why become frustrated at a problem or unsure of a reward because of the apparent (respectively) difficulty or ease?  Are not all problems and tasks to be taken merely as they are?

Common suffering

I work in a job that puts me in a great deal of contact with the public.  The amusing and interesting part of the job is that, when I'm not actually talking to my customers, they have a tendency to ignore me while I'm within earshot.  This leads to the overhearing of some very interesting conversations.  (Not that I eavesdrop - it's not my fault if they just keep talking while I'm a foot away.)

One of the things I have observed about people through this is that they are perverse when it comes to negative things.  More often than not, if one party begins to complain or tell a story about some ordeal they have been through, the response by the listeners is to offer quick sympathy and then attempt to one-up the misery.  Age, class, and race seem to have no bearing on this reaction.  It's as if there is some sort of status gained by having been through the most pain, physical or otherwise.

It's a form of reverse bragging.  While there are cultural taboos in place against actual bragging and bravado, it seems that to show that one has survived or endured personal hells is perfectly acceptable.  In a way, we define ourselves by that which has scarred or almost scarred us.  It's as if we say "Look what I have been through.  Doesn't this make my existence have meaning?"

Is simply enduring an accomplishment?