Do we adapt habits to suit our credence? Or do we devise credence to suit our desired habits?
Nomadism and diverse tenancy open to a frightening range of character and political inclination. On the one hand one expects to mold into a more flexible being; to develop thicker skin, more pliable skin … Perhaps better said, to become more impervious to affectation from the changing dynamic; to adapt without mental collapse.
But practice doesn’t always yield the intended effect. Sometimes the panoramic metamorphosis downright confuses my internal wiring.
One stage opens to extreme environmentalists. Many extract maximum utility and reusability from each material (say, plastic and paper). You’ll hardly find one of those tiny transparent produce bags for a batch of new fruit. Textile or reusable storage overwhelmingly prevails; paper-towels - never in a lifetime. Short life cycle disposables are out of the question. Households don’t recognize them.
I admire and adhere closer to this group than the other extreme. Not that I’m all that clear on the global impact of this type of conservation, especially when, within a two-minute interval across some arbitrary two to ten thousand McDonald’s locations around the globe, in each, thirty takeout cups are instantly summoned for a classroom of kids. And concerning petty waste, you can probably multiply that by another several thousand.
But that’s okay. Each of us sets an example, however trivial. Without that attitude, innovation would cease. Intuitively, this behaviour feels right. And that tends to be my attitude: conserve, reuse and avoid disposables where plausible.
But then, transitioning a few game-of-life squares, we arrive at another group of a different character otherwise coherent, respectable, of altogether sound reason with whom I derive much rapport: yet this profile wastes and disposes like there’s literally no tomorrow.
For the most part I’m around people who avoid heavily energetic appliances. The washing machine finds use once per week, textiles combined where possible, the articles hung up to air dry after. Hand washing is a common practice.
Another profile then ramps up the washer (and the dryer, when of avail) on nearly a daily basis with not so much as a handful of articles.
One group swears by the dishwasher consumption superiority to the ad-hoc manual washing. Another swears by the complete opposite.
One, of otherwise prodigal consumption, takes a stern position to avoid plane travel for the disproportionate energy sink it is said to represent, opting for even the grossly more expensive land and sea options. Another, of the conservative mien aforementioned, takes a flight at the first promotion.
One mathematically proves the electric cigarette superiority to the classic. Another, with an equal semblance of scientific rigour exposes it as a total fraud and an even further detriment.
Using nearly identical rationale, one arrives at the superiority of one religious doctrine to another. Another arrives at the diametrically opposite.
Where does this all lead us?
Questions, comments? Connect.