As I wrote (last week), it’s very easy to criticize problems, and it’s easy to categorize things as good or bad without any nuance. I think that it’s a lot more productive to recognize the good in everything and everyone, and so in that spirit I’d like to challenge myself to share some positive things about things I don’t like.
Fast Food
I never eat fast food myself, but I am impressed with how efficiently our system can bring people nutrition. It may not be ideal nutrition, but I think it’s great that people who are struggling can get a quick and tasty meal for not much money.
Apple Products
This one is probably the hardest for me, because Apple products generally rub me the wrong way, and the fact that everyone thinks they’re so great exacerbates that. That said, I think that Apple has had a significant positive impact in several ways, many of which trickled down to me. There was a time when it was very hard to get devices with high resolution screens. Apple really pushed these and now everyone has them. I also think they sometimes add an unexpected level of polish that other companies wouldn’t, like how earpods know which ears they’re in and can switch to mono if you’re only using one.
School
I have a lot of issues with school, but I appreciate how it creates a great environment in which to make friends and to begin towards independence. Many teachers care a lot and are excellent at their jobs, and I was fortunate to get to learn from many of those types of teachers.
Advertising
I block all ads all the time and rarely see any. When I do happen to see them I find them to be condescending and appealing to the lowest common denominator. However, a lot of shows I like to see and sites I read probably couldn’t have existed without advertisements, and certainly many products I like would not have sold enough without ads to be economically viable.
Government
I don’t actually hate the government, but like everyone I have my gripes about various politicians, policiies, and how it runs. However, I think that it’s important to recognize that our society works remarkably well for being so large and composed of diverse interests, and I don’t believe it would be possible without the work our government does.
Pets
I would never want to have a pet, but it is clear to me that some people do derive emotional benefit from having pets, and that the things I perceive as disproportionately burdensome are well worth it for people who have and love their pets.
Tiny Airplane Seats
I don’t know why, but it feels like in the last year I’ve ended up in a lot of middle seats next to a lot of larger people. It’s never a pleasant experience, but those small seats are why airfare is so cheap, and I’d certainly rather be jammed into the tiniest seat possible than not be able to travel everywhere.
Coffee
I’ve only had coffee a few times and am not a fan of the taste or how it makes me feel, but I did have a couple flat whites that tasted really good. I also really like the smell of coffee and coffee ice cream is good.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a really tough one for me because I feel like it is a massively negative thing for our society. However, I benefitted a lot from being able to go to bars to talk to people, and those wouldn’t exist without alcohol, and maybe restaurants are a little bit cheaper because alcohol exists.
There are very few things, places, or people that are completely good or bad, and thinking that they are is a very closed-minded and self-sabotaging way to think. It’s a good practice to be aware of and acknowledge the good and the bad in things that we
###
Photo is my first attempt at Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. I would love to take some more classes, but they only meet twice per month in Vegas so it’s hard for me to catch them.
Still a couple spots open for Superhuman 4 in April!
Leave a Reply