Everyone has that old underwear that they have refused to let go. It’s either too faded, has a hole or the bladder at the waist has detached itself from the cloth, but we are used to it. We just hope we won’t faint in public and someone has to loosen up our clothing as a first aid measure. Every time the mare mare guy comes around we consider disposing some of our old and outdated items but we convince ourselves that the items are still valuable or may be useful in the future. So we hold on to them. This happens across many aspects of our lives. We find it hard to quit relationships, jobs, habits and even neighborhoods that have outlived their usefulness.
It seems we are hard wired to overvalue items that we already possess than those we do not possess even if they are better. Very few parents would exchange their little, not so good looking, mongrels (children) for those cute little chiwawas we see on TV adverts. Every parent thinks their children are little geniuses. They are not. They are probably below average or at best average. Don’t believe me? Our parents also thought we were little Einsteins. Look at us now! We love our kids more than the neighbors’ kids because we have invested time, energy and emotions to acquire them and bring them up. Like old underwear, we like holding on to history. It is easier to quit a two week relationship than a two year relationship.
The most valued possessions our uncles and aunties from centuries ago had were their genes (children) and food. We have since expanded our territory and own more than just food and children. We now pride ourselves with owning old under wear, used yoghurt cups, business cards among other things. More importantly we own ideas, scripts that direct how we live. A wise man said that a bird in hand is worth two in the bush! Who was this wise man? I would like to meet him and teach him some arithmetics. Two birds are obviously worth more than one if you manage to get them from the bush. But we are descendants of the wise man hence our proclivity to overvalue what we have even if we are better off without it.
Centuries ago it was safer to hold on to the familiar and be reluctant to try out new things. Many people who tried something different were labeled heretics and were burned at the stake. Those who tried new foods did not live to give motivational speeches if the new delicacies were poisonous. Trying something different was deadly. That has however changed. We are unlikely to be killed for experimenting with new ideas in our lives. There is so much room for error. Granted, we may fail, the new underwear may be too tight. But if it fits well, if we succeed, the payoff is huuuge, a breath of fresh air down there. Maybe it’s time to throw out the old underwear, get a new one or walk around without one!
PS. The only people who should be burned at the stake are those who say “Thanks for the add” when they are added to a whatsapp group.
Fabio