Why We Hate Cheap Things
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- In assessing what material things are important and worth paying attention to, we’re oddly prejudiced against cheapness - and frustratingly drawn to the expensive, for reasons that don’t necessarily stand up to examination.
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FURTHER READING
“We don’t think we hate cheap things - but we frequently behave as if we rather do. Consider the pineapple. Columbus was the first European to be delighted by the physical grandeur and vibrant sweetness of the pineapple - which is a native of South America but had reached the Caribbean by the time he arrived there. The first meeting between Europeans and pineapples took place in November 1493, in a Carib village on the island of Guadaloupe. Columbus’s crew spotted the fruit next to a pot of stewing human limbs. The outside reminded them of a pine cone, the interior pulp of an apple…”
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... people don't like pineapples??
People don't look out the plane windows?
How do people live?
My thoughts exactly!
+Ariel Endsley Imagine eating a pineapple for the first time though...
+Ariel Endsley I ounce ate pineapple in a plane that day was the best day of my life!
+Ariel Endsley how come someone can just not look out the window? is the plane THAT interesting?
+abbik all the 6h I was in
Wait, pineaple is the least appealing fruit? That shit is bomb! I'd eat a pineapple over a roast dinner.
What the hell? No one even looks out of a plane window? I've never, but going on a plane sounds amazing. Seeing the earth beneath you. This is jsut sad.
+Mary Yen it is amazing to fly, as are pineapples. I wouldn't eat pineapple OVER a roast dinner, but I'd eat them both lol. It's good you appreciate things well.
+Layla Hush I do it too! :D
I'ts not even in the middle for me. I love that stuff. And I think he just said that to mark the impact. Who cares if it's not true? It's all about that clickbait explaining how everyone around you is oh so stupid. (Yes I dispise this vid, and I'd love to punch certain content creators over TCP/IP)
Pineapple is my favorite fruit, and potatoes are my favorite vegetable.
I noticed in my early teens how much I would enjoy and appreciate every bite of a meal if it was at an expensive restaurant but then eat cheap things very quickly with little attention. I then started intentionally pretending that my 2 minute noodles were a rare and expensive delicacy and it genuinely made the experience so much better
I get terribly excited when ever I sink my teeth into a good pineapple and I eat kiwis every day and still am amazed by how good they taste. Fruit is amazing and don't you be taking that shit for granted!!
Evolution has been crafting the tastiest most appealing and nutritious things for millions of years in order to transport seeds. I'd say that gives them more value than a price tag.
You are talking right through me!!! except, kiwis, in Honduras three kiwwis will cost US$6.00 and i pineapple might cost 3.
I recon the most I have ever enjoyed avocados is when I got 12 for £1 what a bargin! :)
yes...but would u pay $6000.00 for one.
Hell yes. Bananas are dirt cheap and I love them. So versatile.
i still love you pineapple
i will build things in your honor
Not on Pizza. Anywhere but there.
@@SellOrReee pineapple pizza is good. Change my mind.
Even if it's £5000?
It may be cheap but pineapple is one of the most expensive fruits in the store in my home state.
mehhhh this free youtube video
+The School of Life Transcript please.
Is it? I don't think so... Your data, time , advertisements , charging your phone , buying a device to watch it , your personal information... You have spent a lot to watch this video.. Just that you arent aware of it
“My ideal goal is to "mature" into childhood. That would be genuine maturity.”
― Bruno Schulz
This quote just blew my mind 💯💯
I still look out of plane windows!
same here
+Kauri Kopperoinen Same here!
+1
Me too
I got bored of it now. I don't like the fact that I can't experience the air and space outside the plane window. I like window seat in a car.
i dont hate cheap stuff. I actually try my best to always find cheaper versions of the most expensive ones. But cheaper doesnt mean it must have low quality
+Helena Gouveia he's talking about society as a whole not some individuals who are different
+Scott Phillips I know. I just said how I see.
People may become excited for expensive things over cheap things;however, they will still become even more excited if said same product was free.
+Suika Nine If the price of a Louis Vuitton bag was $1, the owner wouldn't probably take care of it.
+Suika Nine You're probably thinking of the excitement one would have if something previously expensive became free. If something was always free, then I'm not so sure we would appreciate it as much. That's the whole point of this video.
unless its sex. people always get excited about sex
+PianoMastR64 yeah but water is free and everybody love water
pseudo gamer lol! Air is free too.. and everybody loves air!
I dont completely aggree with you on this mate,
people just want to stand out of the crowd and in our capitalistic world this is as simple as buying things that are too expensive for a "normal" person to get.
If for example I was to drive a lamborghini where I live, I would feel more special and different to the people around me than if I was driving it in Dubai where even the police drive such cars. So that's why people over there buy exotic animals and things that make them seem different and special.
If everyone has been on the mount everest, it's not that much of a sensation to go there, but given that it doesnt take just money, but time and effort to climb it, it still is a sensation and doesn't depend on money but the sole fact that it sets you apart from the rest.
+The School of Life great videos 👍🏼 keep them coming
+The School of Life Come on at least admit he's right..
+ray metrich
To be honest, I don't spend my money on any of that shit. I'm all about function.
My match-grade rifle with the 2 grand scope isn't a symbol of prestige.
It's a piece of insurance that increases my chance of survival under any circumstance.
Also, this vid is wrong about the '4-year old mind'.
I knew damn well that the die-cast hot wheels were better than the plastic ones.
And that the plastic ones were better than the knock offs with the janky wheels.
Shoddy products are more common than ever now, so knowing your shit (not over-paying is part of this) and not cutting corners is even more important.
+manictiger I get where you're coming from, that's why ma samuray sword replica is made of real folded steel, other than that garbage they sell you "just for the looks" 😉
Now I'm not saying I will ever defend myself with it nor use it properly but I still wouldn't settle with the thought that I had bought a sword that would break if I'd try to slice a plastic bottle.
+ray metrich edit* my*
I can not deny that I bout it for display purposes though
It's not price. It's scarcity. Pineapples were valuable because they were rare, not because of inherent value. They were so different and exotic compared to other fruits, so they had value. But when the market adjusted and pineapples became common, they lost their appeal.
The same goes for seeing clouds from above. Before aviation, virtually nobody had seen clouds from above. It was a rare experience. Nowadays, it is very common. You're likely to meet someone who has done this than someone who hasn't.
So you're drawing the wrong conclusion. We don't hate cheap things. We just don't put much value into common things.
I don't know why you only have 4 likes. You explained it perfectly.
Partly true.
yeah I was wondering why authors didn't even mention the scarcity heuristic. It's a well-researched psychological phenomenon that pretty much explains the whole deal, but of course they had to go for "let's stop and smell the four-year-olds" rubbish instead
-
Actually, if you study marketing, you're wrong Chairman Meow. Price carries with it an appreciation and limits how much we can enjoy something. Just look at coffee. You can make the same cup of coffee, but attach two different price tags to it. If the price isn't outrageous, people tend to flock towards the more expensive one, because the other is offering "cheap coffee", and all the connotations that go alongside "cheap".
For an individual you tube viewer, this video has a low price but a very high value ;)
Exclusivity is the value of the pineapple. Nobody cares if we all have one. People like the social hierarchical value implied behind having things others can't afford.
+Cassius Grey Yes, I don't think his analysis re the pineapple and air travel were quite sound. They were valued because they were rare and the experience of them was exclusive. That allowed them to be priced highly. It is not clear that the chain of causation is that because they were highly priced they were highly valued.
+Cassius Grey Just like iPhones
+Cassius Grey No it's the taste of the pineapple that makes it desirable. The juicy, sweet flavor it gives the eater is awesome. I like it with yogurt.
+Cassius Grey Correct you are my friend
If i see a nice thing in the shop before I see the price, i think how nice, but if it turns out to be very expensive I find it makes it look uglier. If it's cheap I accept some small flaws, but if it's expensive it better be almost "perfect"; and since nothing is flawless, the expensive thing is more likely to disappoint me.
But maybe that makes me an "artist" or I have the mind of a 4 year-old....
Unless you're trying to impress others with your wealth (or apparent wealth,more likely, since really rich people don't really care that much about money), price is not that important. You value new and rare things because they are new and rare, and common and plentiful things are not valued as high, and this is mostly reflected in the price (except in some perverse cases where an artificially inflated price is the main attraction e.g. diamonds, fashon brands etc)
I have two watches, a Rolex Submariner and a Casio Pathfinder. The Casio was $250, it is far more acurate had multiple functions like Altimeter, barometer, temperature and compass. It is a far superior watch in capability and function. However, there is something about the Rolex that just blows the Casio away. Maybe it is the price and how hard I had to work to get it but its somethings I just can't explain. I really like how you compared a grown man like me to the child. I know if I handed a four year old these two watches he would just toss the Rolex to the side and play all day with the Casio.
the Casio is really ugly comparing. Beauty is also something to strive for, and great design is often expensive.
Rob N and the Rolex is beautiful, prestigious, ego, brand, and working for it, reward. You earned it. It's a reward its a symbol and extension of you. Also it's higher quality finishing
Rob N id just use the casio for everyday use and sell the rolex as its useless if i have the casio already on my wrist.
Rob N I'll take the Casio if you don't want it
is this why we love discounts so much? because it gives us the illusion that the product we're buying is lot more expensive than it actually is?
how do you like them apples
omg
+Shelly Ⓥ omg
+Ronan McCann omg
+Abed Nadir omg
Omg
- Sir, we’ve found this and we need you to name it.
- Pineapple.
- But we figured we might as well just call it ‘ananas’ since the majority of the world refers to it as-
- Pineapple.
- But sir-
- Pine. Apple.
Columbus call it:
“Piña de Indias”
Translation
Pinecone of Indies
What do you mean "we"? Perhaps you, but not me.
Like i love pine apples and eggs :3
***** I will nonetheless admit this video has made pineapples slightly more delicious
I see 'we' as in 'we, the human race.' Makes sense to me. Plus, there are some things we do without realizing we do them. Like racial bias for instance. We can deny we do it til the cows come home, but thanks to western society, we're basically primed to. It's our becoming aware of it that makes all the difference.
Beside its use in architecture, the pineapple also became a popular design motif in furniture, both in Britain and especially in the USA.
(and as a kid I loved the swirling colours the oil sheen made in a mud puddle in the streets after a rain...)
Pineapple is fucking delicious. I don't take it for granted.
this is the frist video of this guy that i've seen and i love how he doesnt try to rush information as fast as possible, but keeps it clear and slow. And his voice is so soothing it's like a massage, great job
Every time i watch one of these i remember how i used to feel about the world in my youth.
Now all i care to see is money and alcohol. What a pitiful being i have become.
5:32 If only that's how prices were determined. Unfortunately prices are based on what capitalists think they can get away with charging rather than the labor cost involved in producing it.
And on elastic demand those prices drop to around the labor + shipping/production price. In inelastic demand your correct though
+salty .cats nah, he is trying to bash politics for faults of other people
+Polycube by capitalist you mean every one right? aren't you going to sell your time in the highest price you think u can get away with?
Daniel Ziv The system one is in does not necessarily reflect one's principles, otherwise every peasant would have been a feudalist, every British subject a Monarchist, and so on.
Ideally, I would not want my labour to be bought/sold in the first place but, in cases where it's unavoidable, payment is still not something to hold above social principles such as not participating in profiteering tactics.
Again with your commodity fetishism!
YOU DARN COMMIES!
I like you.
Well then, I must be different than everyone else. I get excited to see that things can be had for a low price, especially when they were previously expensive. For example, I got very excited about the Raspberry Pie when is was initially released. Now I get more excited about how inexpensive Android devices can be.
I find the plane window thing strange. Whenever I take a plane somewhere I'm always excited about the view out the window. The lovely clouds, farms, cities and landscapes I see out the window always amaze me. Yet no one else seems to even notice.
Or maybe they chose not to outwardly show their astonishment just as probably did😊
Things are only precious when its rare
Like water? Or air? Or life? Or the sun? Or the Internet? Or....
+Chike Ezebilo how are these thing rare? I got them all in my house...
The Horrible Truth exactly.. They aren't but you can't do without them. In fact they are more precious to you than the rarest diamond
+Chike Ezebilo a diamond being precious is nothing but a perceived thing, if you don't know the story behind what I believe to be the biggest marketing con in history, read this blog.hubspot.com/marketing/diamond-de-beers-marketing-campaign
Same goes for the value of gold. Like Warren Buffett said: "Gold gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head". The problem with gold as an investment is that it doesn't have a set value like a stock, its worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
***** christ. What a scary thought for anybody investing in gold..
I think another part of it lies in the work we, ourselves, put in to earn the money that the expensive item represents. Lets say you buy an expensive vase. It might not be value for money, but to you it represents your work and gives you a feeling of accomplishment.
I love cheap things though...
Me too. I go nuts in dollar tree...everything is a dollar and my wallet and I know it.
Same
Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight (I love cheap thrills)...
hameed s: no, that's simply not the case. I feel weird about expensive things. I either avoid them or feel nervous about them, always.
Me too idk maybe it comes from growing up poor but I love coupons, sales and dollar tree. I don't understand paying a ridiculous amount for something you could get cheaper, but to each their own.
With much respect I would like to correct you, all those are pineal gland temples.
It's kinda weird because I work the other way around.
I get really excited when cheap stuff performs really well and I often get really disappointed with expensive stuff when they don't perform perfectly.
My latest example is probably a 42" LG TV I bought last year on Black Friday, I only paid about 250$ and it's fucking AMAZING considering the price.
Thank you so much for all the work you have put into the making this channel. It is exciting, wiity, funny, educating and with beautiful artwork. It is educating and thought provoking however without pushing certain ideas on to the viewer.
You are beautiful.
Cheers.
Too often 'cheaper items' are cheap for a reason- the labor is cheap, the product has a short shelf life, the components that made that product are cheap or of poor quality. It all adds up. No one really needs the MOST expensive item on the market, but usually mid to higher end products are worth it because they last longer, offer a better experience, reliable,etc.
Good products are often expensive, but not all expensive products are necessarily good.
Or needed.
Smashingpumkin3 that doesn't make expensive items worth it or of quality either. Price is made up bro.... i can throw generic detergent in a Tide bottle and sell it for double. You make up in your mind what is and what it isn't.
Its always subjective and it varies from item to item. There is no universal standard of quality unfortunately so one has to really look into what they are buying and see if they will derive enough value from that transaction.
Based on information, production process, components, design, functionality, aesthetics, shelf-life.
Generally though these days things are 'cheap' for a reason, maybe going back 20-30-40 years ago most items were built to last a lot longer than they do today.
smashingpumpkin3
I see where you're coming from.
Also, planned obsolescence has been around for a century.
I also believe it is largely objective. Some common sense needs to be involved because the facts are always facts. Just because something has so and so sticker price doesn't mean you should be paying that. A fool and his money is soon parted. However, if you're okay with that and there are no alternatives or negotiating power, so be it.
Now I want a pineapple.
I was pretty skeptical about this one, until the last line stole my heart. "We are a good deal richer, than we THINK we are." Other words for cheap are inexpensive and affordable. Depending on how we are brought up, or our experiences since then, any one of those words can have more value than the others. It's a relative universe and language is inherently limiting.
It's funny because we all know that "the best things in life are free". A first kiss is something you can have if you are near starving in a desperate 3rd world country, yet it's a pleasure beyond compare.
pineapples are so cheap you can live in them under the sea
People buy expensive things as a status symbol.
I've been on countless flights and always try to get a window seat wherever possible. The flight could be like 8 hours and I'll still look outside for the majority of it, I love it.
I love pineapple - and I still look out the window when flying!
I think it's important to be in contact with your inner child for the very same reasons as mentioned here...
Given that most prices are set by supply and demand, I would say it's more likely that we simply appreciate expensive things more because they're usually more rare. For instance, in the example of the eggs: we see chicken's eggs in our society every day. It's why they're comparatively cheap compared to sturgeon's eggs. The sturgeon's eggs we would get excited over not because of their high price tag, but because they seem unique and exotic.
I've only flown once, but I spent the entire time gazing out of the window because I had never before seen first-hand the sky from such a height. For people who have flown several times however, they perhaps become less excited each time as they know what to expect. It's similar to how we may live in an absolutely beautiful place, and yet the longer we live there the less we will appreciate it, and the more we will begin to fantasise about visiting somewhere entirely different. In the eyes of a four year old, everything is new and different, since they are still beginning to learn about the world and how things work.
Having said all of this, I very much enjoyed the video. =)
Prices are usually artificial though. Maybe oil follows supply and demand, but even that has a cartel. Diamonds are a perfect example of false value, look into that if you're unaware how they limit supply and jack price up.
One of my favorite School of Life videos. Favorited it to watch it time to time. Appreciating what you have is very difficult.
How could I miss this channel? It's filled with amazing content! Thank you for making it great, guys.
Price isn't set purely by the cost of production, rather price is simply a reflection of what people are WILLING to pay for an item. You will set the price as high as you can to still have sales, no matter how much it cost to make. Therefore no, price actually is a reflection of human value as determined by the amount of money one is willing to pay to obtain such an item. Doesn't mean I can't get enjoyment from the chicken egg, just means I'm willing to pay more for it than I am currently paying - and that's a good thing, lower prices making objects of past luxury a thing overlooked by the masses in today's word is beautiful thing!
the invisible hand theory?
Hate? Pineapples are hugely popular right around the world. I would argue that we don't 'hate' them, we just take them for granted. Here in Australia, we erected a giant one called The Big Pineapple in 1971, and it is now heritage listed. We have a big music festival there. Pineapple is awesome! We put them on pizza, we put it in burgers with beetroot and egg, we eat it in salads, we cook it with vinegar on the bbq, we put it on pavlova, we eat them on a stick... on 40 degree Celsius days here you freeze them and put the pieces in drinks instead of ice. We have them in cocktails. We eat slices with fancy forks at high teas. There is even pineapple flavoured chocolate. Delicious!! Don't you eat them? Also the design is very popular this season. I have a pineapple shaped vase. My friend has a very cute dress covered in pineapple print. I would argue that brussel sprouts are something that people 'hate,' but pineapple? It's a celebrated food.
+The School of Life
Thank you for replying. Yes, I do see the general point you're making and I believe it is very relevant. I particularly like your example of plane travel. It is very sad that there is a social pressure not to see or show excitement and appreciation for good, readily available (cheap) things. I'm sorry if I got a bit carried away with your original example of pineapples, it may have been lost in cultural differences.
HOW is this channel so deep, so profoundly impactful.
Great video! I love history and your animation style makes the subjects a lot more interesting.
I actually totally agree.
This a big reason I did not spend much money on my wedding ring. I bought a stainless steel band that had this great 3D illusion in the texture. It only cost $100 (I was surprised it cost that much) and I spent the money I saved on better things.
This is also how I realized that Karl Marx was a moron. For Marx the value of something was based on the labor that went into it. I realized that the value of something was based on the enjoyment and satisfaction that comes out of it.
+TC Coltharp Hear hear
+TC Coltharp You're calling Marx a moron when you evidently don't even begin to understand his work, and in all probability have read little or none of it. That's a wee bit arrogant, don't you think?
For a start, he was perfectly clear on the distinction between "use value" and "exchange value".
+J Nicolson I am not going to labor through Das Capital again. Marx's understanding of economics is biased and agenda driven.
+TC Coltharp If you have read 'Capital' you obviously weren't paying attention, or don't remember it at all clearly. Marx distinguishes between use value and exchange value on page 1. The labour theory of value obviously relates to the latter. There's also a further distinction between value and price.
How can you make any worthwhile judgement on "Marx's understanding of economics" when you clearly have no clue what it was?
Then you my friend must be a very happy man. :)
Love this one Alain! :)
Thank you for the great work , I really love this channel .. keep it up !
I love this channel Great work guys & Thank you
hey, I love cheap things. I just hate bad things.
Well, artificial light has certainly become cheap to the point of being given little to no consideration. Instead of respecting night by limiting ourselves to using light exactly where and when we need it, we tend to use it to turn night into day. Why does a parking lot need to be lit up when no one's there? Why do businesses have to leave their lights on long after they've closed for the night? Why does light have to shine sideways, directly into our eyes, instead of merely shining down and bouncing off of things we want or need to see? Why does light have to shine up, where it's no good to anyone and makes stars vanish from the night sky?
***** Bathing large areas with light doesn't discourage crimes. If that were true, then there should be little to no crime during the day, when the Sun brightly lights up half the planet, but that's not the case.
According to FBI statistics for 2004-2013, more than half of residential burglaries happen during the day (when most people are at work or school) while more than half of nonresidential burglaries happen during the night (when most businesses are closed). To me, that suggests that a human presence is what really discourages crime, not light. Think about it: if there's no one around to fight off a mugger for you, is a light pole suddenly going to spring to life and help you out? Nope. All it's going to do is quietly sit there while you get mugged. Also, criminals are human too, which means they need light to help them see at night just as much as you need it. People don't suddenly gain superhuman night vision when criminal intentions enter their minds.
Now I want you to imagine three scenarios. In the first, a building that a burgler wants to break into is dark, in the second, the building has motion-sensing lights positioned at all entry points like doors and windows, and in the third, the building's perimeter is brightly lit all night long. In the first scenario, the burgler has to use a flashlight to see what they're doing, which pinpoints their position exactly and makes them look suspicious. In the second scenario, the dark building suddenly lights up at the exact door or window the burgler is trying to enter, which gives away their position, but not as precisely because they can always run away into the darkness and they can be mistaken as someone who's supposed to be there (as long as they don't run when the light comes on). In the third scenario, there's a large lit area that people become accustomed to and may not even be paying attention to it when the burgler casually passes from the darkness into the light and acts like they belong there, until they feel like no one's watching and they make their move. In all three scenarios, the property would greatly benefit from a security system, which would not only alert nearby people about an attempted break-in, but would alert the local authorities about it as well. It's people that ultimately make a difference, not light.
As far as light shining sideways goes, that's what's called "glare". Specifically, glare is when light shines directly from a light source to your eyes, like a lamp without a lampshade. It's sort of like a flashlight pointed at your face or the afternoon Sun getting in your eyes as you drive west. Glare compromises both safety and security, because it forces your eyes to adjust to the light source rather than to the darkness around the light source. For example, you may be able to see a light fixture and the limited area it illuminates just fine, but you might not notice the animal, pedestrian, or mugger that's in the darkness near the light because the light is poorly shielded and is putting out glare as a result. In contrast, when a light is properly shielded, you don't see the light source, you just see a cone of light focused downward, with light bouncing off of whatever's underneath the light. Most of what we see is made possible by light bouncing off of objects and entering our eyes, not by light shining directly from objects into our eyes. Make sense?
***** What sort of crime could you do quietly? In your example of a mugging, if the mugger attacks their victim to get at their valuables, there will be lots of noise. If the mugger merely threatens violence, they'll have to speak loudly enough for the victim to hear them, and the victim may shout for help once the mugger starts to leave. Anyway, you don't need to light an entire parking lot, just the area where the crime is taking place via motion sensors, and you don't need to have the light put out glare.
True night is pitch dark, you're just used to night in a city. Darkness can be useful to criminals in some ways, but they still need light to commit crimes. In your example of mugging, the mugger needs some kind of brightly-lit area to assess if someone has money or other valuables and is worth mugging. It also helps greatly if they know the victim on some level. If they just see some random person in a dimly lit area, they're not going to know the first thing about them and they might not see what that person has on them.
If daylight doesn't discourage something as brazen as a bank robbery or a convenience store robbery, why would it discourage muggings? All you need for a daytime mugging is an isolated area with poor visibility from outside vantage points and an escape route.
I'm not arguing for doing away with light at night, I'm arguing for using it more reasonably. We should use it where it's needed when it's needed by taking advantage of timers, motion sensors, proper shielding, and good judgment. There are many cons to lighting up more things at night:
- Increased energy usage, which means higher electric bills, more air pollution, and more greenhouse gases.
- Compromised sleep for humans.
- Disruption of normal wildlife behavior, specifically in migrating birds, sea turtles, bats, insects, etc.
- As outlined before, glare can make it difficult to see animals, pedestrians, and criminals in darkness near poorly shielded lights.
- Lower quality of life without star-filled night skies.
I know horizontal light has greater reach, but is that greater reach necessary? Do you really need to light up a huge area or is the light only necessary in much smaller, specific areas? Does the light need to be on all the time, or only during certain times or when people are present? Yes, a super-bright, poorly-shielded light can light up many things, but if most of that light isn't necessary, then that light is mostly wasteful, not useful, especially when it's going straight into your eyes.
Not being able to see the stars is a problem, just as much as it would be a problem for a national park to be destroyed by development or for Renaissance art to be destroyed by vandals. The difference, though, is that stars could be visible from every place on our planet if we used light more reasonably. In other words, stars could be universally accessible and ight pollution can be reversed if we only had the will and if only more people were educated about how light works.
***** Have you ever heard of a strawman argument? That's exactly what you just wrote. Read my words carefully: I'm not arguing for all the lights to be shut off. Properly shielding lights doesn't mean turning them off, it means keeping light pointed down at the ground where it's actually needed, not in the sky where it goes to waste and not directly into our eyes, which makes shadows appear darker than they should. I agree that artificial lighting is important for our safety and security at night, but I also think that artificial light could serve us better if we put more thought into where and when it's used instead of using the traditional brute force approach of trying to illuminate every square inch we can all night long. A light is not a waste of money if it illuminates exactly what you need it to. Anything more than that is using up extra energy/spending extra money just for the hell of it.
The thing you don't understand is that light pollution doesn't just erase the stars over cities, it does it in the country too. Cities produce light domes that can stretch out for hundreds of miles, and the closer our cities expand to the wilderness, the less dark the wilderness is. I've gone way out into the middle of the desert, and although I could see a lot more stars, I could still see the light domes of cities on the horizon all around me. If this trend continues, there will be nowhere left to see the night sky as it should be, other than way out in the middle of the ocean or in the most remote places where people don't go for camping trips. You know that greater reach that you pointed out as an advantage of horizontal light? That happens to be what allows the light pollution of cities to stretch out for hundreds of miles, out into the wilderness. Tell me: is the light still useful there, or is it a wasteful nuisance?
+YamFestival There are a wide variety of light fixtures out there, so I'm not going to go into detail, but I've been giving a basic description for good lighting this whole time. You want fixtures with shielding that conceals light sources from your eyes, only allowing a light cone focused on the ground to escape. That way, you only see reflected light from what's under the light source and not the light source itself, kind of like seeing the Moon, but not the Sun. You also don't have light escaping into the sky or into the wilderness, where it's just a wasteful nuisance. The nice thing about properly shielding a light is that the light doesn't have to be as bright (because its light is focused on the ground instead of shining in every direction), which saves energy/money. With properly-shielded lights, the aim isn't filling every square inch of space with light, it's putting light exactly where and when it's needed, using only necessary brightness levels, not excessive brightness levels. Color temperature also comes into play, as lower color temperatures allow our bodies to properly transition into sleep and they scatter less in the atmosphere, which means darker skies, which means more stars. Timers and motion sensors also reduce light pollution and save energy/money because they turn on the lights only when people are around instead of the lights being on all night long.
Some examples of poorly-shielded lighting are acorn lights (traditional lights named for the shape of their casing), barn lights (sort of cylindrical-shaped lights that some homeowners stick on the corners of their roofs), wall packs (boxy, wall-mounted fixtures that warehouses love to use for lighting up their perimeters), and cobrahead streetlights (the ones with the bulging lenses). There are also floodlights, little spotlights that some homeowners install, which may or may not have motion sensors. They're usually pointed horizontally for maximum glare, and the ones with motion sensors are usually set to maximum sensitivity, which leads to countless false positives as pedestrians and pets pass by. When "security lights" are set to maximum sensitivity, they become like the boy who cried "wolf", with people not taking them seriously as they regularly switch on and off all night long. An actual security system would be a lot more effective than poorly-installed "security lights".
***** Yes I do. Light pollution is my pet cause.
Though we can debate about the content, that is the analysis and some points you try to state, in this particular video, overall your channel is the best channel on RUclips! Yours is thought-provoking, and spreading some great humanities ideas. I hope you get gazillions subscribers! Keep it up!
I get most excited when I get something for cheap, like the brand new (approx 300$) motorbike jacket I got from a "used" clothing store for 12 $CAN, or when I get my grocery store tray of sushi for 50% off
I have a feeling that this is a different kind of happy than getting something for expensive, it's when you get something you KNOW is expensive, but you get it cheaper
as a student, I get pretty excited/happy to see cheap prices and a bit disappointed when it is expensive. But I think I would be equally as excited to get either a cheap or expensive item, as long as I was interested in them in the first place. like Prada or Gucci or what ever other expensive brands for hand bags and such, I have no interest in them and if given to me, I would probably sell it away and use the money for something else.
So human society tells us what to like, dislike, say, not say, do and not do?
+Vegan j Basically, and while it is unfortunate there are always advantages. For example industry taught us to value coal and metals as they are good components for constructing things in factories. Granted, one has backfired terribly, but the other still is very useful.
In a nutshell yes. The process is called socialization
+Vegan At Uni Take advantage of this insight ;)
The pineapple is an interchangeable variable used to explain how price, supply and demand effect what we consider valuable. Can't believe how many people think it's a jab at the pineapple. Love your channel.!
I love this easy yet very informative , beautifully represented content . its as useful as reading an article .
I've reverted my mind to that of a child. I love things based on quality always. I'll never forget the day I bought an organic mango from whole foods just to see if it was any better (I had no expectations) and it was about $3! And it was disgusting. The mangoes I usually got from the flea market were about $0.75 a piece and some of the best mangos I've had.
On the contrary, organic (more expensive) russet potatoes taste waaaayy better than the inorganic ones.
I'm blind to price. I only recognize quality. Gross fish eggs are just that, gross fish eggs. I don't care how expensive. And I love love love pineapples. I'd eat them moore is they didn't break my mouth down.
This is a really interesting reflection and I agree for the most part. I think there is a close relationship with the concept of status anxiety mentioned in another SoL video. Scarce valuable goods and status have been associated with one another since the dawn of civilisation. Once an item stops being scarce, there is no longer an association with high status, and the value that society assigns to such an item drops accordingly. Oddly enough, that kind of social value is independent from the intrinsic value of the object. Maybe the social value reflects a tacit craving for status, not for the utility derived from the objects themselves.
This was amazing. You have a new subscriber. RUclips suggested this channel to me, so the system works!
I love your videos, keep them coming. As a video maker you inspire me.
Exactly the same thing with Apple. People only buy iPhones because they are expensive, no one would if they were cheap.
Außerirdische lol
You stole my comment
Chris F Still, Apple has become a symbol of status. While its rivals may be offered for the same price, Apple products are pricey enough to be a symbol of status and they have achieved it before Android phones.
Chris F Exactly. Those are the kind of people they aim for. Of course there are the ones who buy iPhones simply because they like it, but if it gets turned into a symbol of wealth and status more people should want them.
It should be the same as expensive cars. I dunno if that's as much of a thing in the rest of the world as it is in Brazil, but while there are some people who buy expensive cars because they're simply interested in cars and have them as a hobby, most people only get those for status.
Capetalista Malvadão I don't like Apple either.
My God, these videos are so good!
I've spent many a day drawing potatoes on the classroom board. I don't know why no one sees the beauty in potatoes like I do!
Wonderful video! We are missing out on wealth we already have because we have forgotten how to value things directly instead of measuring them in terms of monetary value. If value is always measured in terms of price, and price is determined by relative scarcity, then the majority of people would always be irreparably doomed to unhappiness simply because they refuse to appreciate anything that isn't scarce.
Country singers can help us too! Listen to this:
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes
If I was to change this life I lead
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
'Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see, yeah
When I die, don't bury me
In a box in a cemetary
Out in the garden would be much better
And I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes
I don't have memories with any pineapple. Back then that was an expensive fruit in Turkey. But I think tomato definitely deserves our close attention and appreciation and it is very cheap too. That's why I love this country song! Besides,we must know that it is a very sensitive fruit indeed! Here is a piece of valuable information:
"Britain's Royal Horticulture Society conducted an experiment, and found that tomato plants grew up to two inches taller if they were spoken to by a female rather than a male. The group conducted the experiment for more than a month. Among those talking to the tomatoes was a descendent of Charles Darwin reading from "The Origin's of Species." Sara Darwin's plants grew two inches taller than the best male's plant. She said she wasn't sure if it was her dulcet tones or Darwin's prose that did the trick".
Thank you very much for this wonderful lesson as always! What I loved the most is the mind of the little child and the idea of a " revolution in appreciation". In fact that reminded me of another wonderful song most people probably know: "My favourite things" . I especially like the version Al Jarreau sings with Kathleen Battle. Here are the lyrics:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad
That tomato must have been a male specie.
+First think U ppl
Hi there! Probably:-) Thanks for reading!
+Lua Veli Thank you so much for introducing that song to me! It's so comforting.
+Denise Tang
Hello Denise! You mean the Tomato song or the second one? I love them both! :-) Thank you for reading and for listening!
+Lua Veli The tomato song. :)
I feel so alienated by this... I believe that I might be a 25 year old guy that does not understand money.
Lovely video, for I think it to be priceless (in the most endearing sense of the
word!). An awesome blend of economics and good feeling philosophy , and truly a beautiful video.
Thanks for making it, and others like it.
Oh and that ending. I'm almost in tears :')'
Best channel on RUclips, wish I could find more like this.
I actually feel really good after watching this as I'm shocked on a daily basis when I see people overspending on things that as a middle-class mortal I never even consider i could afford at all...
Ah..and now I got a renewed appreciation for pineapples -and the like- as well! =)
I do not completely agree with this. I'm not a cheapskate, but if I find something cheap that usually costs more, I'm very happy. Also I usually feel guilty when buying something expensive, because i'm afraid I'll regret it...
And if artists are helping us, why are their paintings so abnormally expensive, even to the point that it doesn't make sense anymore?!
very good. fantastic conclusion. wonderful ending. beautiful. well done🙏
Well done, and thank you for making this!
I wanted to subscribe, but I'm already subscribed and cant do it again.
Haha, me too. SOOOOOOOOOO badly!!!!!
I heard diamonds should be really cheap.
After all, prices of stones are based on how easy it is to mine. The harder it is to find, the higher the price.
Diamonds... are said to be more common than rubies and sapphires.
(°-°)
+Shocker9 Was it true that the tradition of offering a diamond ring to the maiden was started(or made famous) by this?
+The Quiet Fox Don't forget the hardness of Diamonds also leads to their portrayal as rather valuable.
Diamonds are a scam, a cartel pushed by De Beers because alllllllll the diamond mines in the world were controlled by the British Empire (then). So what do you do when you have tons upon tons of useless shiny rocks and need to get rid of them? You turn them into a veblen good.
Diamonds are amazingly awesome! Crush them down, put them on a saw blade and they can cut thru almost anything. Last I checked, diamond tipped saw blades are about $10 at Home Depot. LOL.
Not to mention they can be made in a lab...
What a delightful video, brings home much needed truth
Hahaha this is awesome. I noticed this since I was a kid with common appliances and new technologies.
It's nice to finally see someone talking about it.
I'd like to expand my initial comment due to the last sentence on the video: "We are already a good deal richer than we're encouraged to think we are."
This is so drue, and was always obvious to me. However, I've seen so many people grow depressive and unhappy with their conditions throughout the year. People who, around a decade or two ago, only had a few furniture, an oven, a fridge and a small TV.
Now, with a big TV, full-package cable TV, many appliances and electronics..they still complain about the same things.
It blows my mind. People take all the propaganda from midia and advertising smiling, and actually let it affect them down to their core.
am I the only one who is disappointed when things are expensive?
I definitely get the window seat and look out and the cheaper the ticket the better :)
Another reason why I'll be a subscriber to this channel for the foreseeable future.
Once you can get it easily a previously great thing generally stops being wonderful and you take it for granted. We fail to appreciate many things just because we are so used to them, but really they are amazing.
This is the best channel on RUclips
Cheap wine tastes better than expensive wine.
+LarlemMagic One certainly can't tell the difference between the taste and there were studies done that prove it.
+LarlemMagic No, nice wine tastes better than shit wine :D
GraemeMarkNI No, good tasting wine tastes better than bad tasting wine :D
+LarlemMagic Yeah because in cheap wine there's a lot of sugar and fruit juice tossed in while real aged wines tend to have a bitter/sour depth.
It's all subjective bro.
love the video as usual; superb!
I appreciate this video so much!!
I find these videos amazing. I wonder how does one go about developing such an ability of reasoning and critical thought? Does one needs to possess knowledge of history and philosophy? Where/how does one start thinking?
+heady926 Read the Great Classics. Ironically the people of old (circa. 2000+ yrs ago) certainly knew how to think better than the moderns with novel ideas which sometimes sadly encroaches into the absurd.
Better than cheap... free!! archive.org/details/greatbooks
i love cheap things tho...saves me alot of money!
every single video of yours is flawless
I flew in a jet across the Atlantic and looking out the window was my favorite part of the ride! The view was amazing. I took so many pictures
I'm sitting in a room in front of a glowing rectangle smoking a plant that used to be demonized and eating a delicious £5000 fruit. Life is good. It's all about perspective.
..... plane tickets aren't cheap ....
Really? I can take a piss at 37,000 feet. and be any where in the world in 2r hours or less. for the cost of daily cup of cheap coffee at TIMMIES.
They are now.
Over the years I've read more and more about the psychology of prices, but never had I thought about how all of it fits on the big picture, we give up the occasion to be pleasured with countless fantastic objects as they're given to us.
That kid skit was so cute... espicially when you talked about how they rather play with the box instead of the toy. SO TRUE.
"cognitive dissonance: we love what we work hatdest for(whether or not its logical,good for us)
Are you sure it is not just you? I like pineapples, I like cheap things, I look from the plane window and I still know how to be happy. Are you sure you are not just sad?
Did you even watch the video?
Kokak Kak Yes, someone picks problem of a tiny group of people and claims it is true for significant part of society.
agun17 Well, you are the one who knows prices of drugs in different countries, I neither live in Mexico, nor do I have any idea how much drugs are. If you are one of those, who do not like pineapples so much, because they are cheap and like drugs, because they are expensive where do you live, than you are sad as well. If my income was not based on people, buying expensive items, just because they are expensive (and they could get it 5 times cheaper just 2 minutes down the road), I would celebrate, if this stupidity disappeared from the face of the world.
I always look out the window too. But if you look around, you will see most people aren't looking out. :(
I travel between Europe and the States and i think the whole thing is incredible. I love it and I appreciate it deeply!
Amazing Video, as always! :)