The most pervasive, trivial irrationalities of everyday life
March 5, 2010 10:16 PM   Subscribe

Criteria for inclusion: Should be a widespread behaviour, idea or mode of thought (whether culturally specific or not) that is irrational. Should be fairly trivial, i.e. of too little societal impact to have warranted serious study. This is meant to be a fun and not-too-snidely-judgmental exercise.

My own example is most people's disinclination to block internet advertising, not because of an ethical opposition to it, but because they see taking 5 minutes to download a plug-in as being too onerous.

Please try to keep this thread away from large scale ideological warfare.
Do not list politically charged, non trivial things like "religion" etc.
posted by kid A to Human Relations (9 answers total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: Chatfilter. -- cortex

 
These might be too non-trivial, but anyway: the purchase of lottery tickets. Consultation of horoscopes. The rush to buy bread, milk and toilet paper in parts of the American South when the forecast suggests snow.
posted by holgate at 10:25 PM on March 5, 2010


Would fav'ing on Metafilter or AskMeFi before something is deleted as chatfilter be among the included behaviour? I may get a rush of faves in before the deletion.
posted by kellyblah at 10:31 PM on March 5, 2010 [1 favorite]


I don't block internet advertising because I find the plugins slow my browser down (and sometimes make it crash). So I'm not being irrational at all.

My vote for irrational activities:

- having children even though it means it is more difficult to save money and wear fashionable jeans and continue to behave like a hipster well into your late 30s

- loving someone even though you know they will die

- behaving judgementally, but asking others not to behave that way

- answering questions in a thread you know will be deleted
posted by KokuRyu at 10:37 PM on March 5, 2010 [1 favorite]


Religion.

Wait...dang.
posted by puritycontrol at 10:39 PM on March 5, 2010


most people's disinclination to block internet advertising

what?
posted by sanka at 10:40 PM on March 5, 2010


Ask.mefi fail much?
posted by saradarlin at 10:53 PM on March 5, 2010


What

is

your

question?
posted by koeselitz at 10:53 PM on March 5, 2010


Chatfilter. Delete
posted by dfriedman at 10:59 PM on March 5, 2010


THe OP's question is in the title: What are the most pervasive, trivial irrationalities of everyday life?

But yes, Chatfilter-- "a fun exercise" is not what AskMe is for.
posted by jouir at 11:16 PM on March 5, 2010


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