Dear Poor Lucky Me,
The ugly sweater party was cool when it was underground. Now everyone does it.
Is it normal to only like things when they’re unpopular, then sneer at them when they become popular?
Can I openly ridicule the ugly sweat parties of today, or for the sake of politeness and society do I have to continue to keep silent on the issue?
Signed,
Angry For No Good Reason
I think it is normal to only like things before they become very popular, but that’s no reason to be angry. Save your anger for injustice, tyranny, or violence perpetrated against the innocent. Leave the ugly sweater party goers alone.
I think this is an urge left over from our high school days, when finding the cool thing first made a huge impact on your social standing. Remember the kid in your class who first played “Satellite” for you? They were by far the coolest person you knew…for a couple weeks anyway.
The point is most of the time societal norms serve the important purpose of keeping our irrational outbursts in check. I watched a show last night about the differences between Bonobos an Chimps. They are both our very close genetic relatives. Chimps will sometimes go to war for neighboring territory, Bonobos make love to greet each other and resolve conflict. Wouldn’t you rather be a Bonobo than a Chimp?
Sincerely,
Dear Angry For No Good Reason,
Poor Lucky Me
Hey, I was the first one to think that Bonobos are better than Chimps, now that everyone knows that, I am very angry.
Wait, I just read your answer again and realized that I do not have to be angry about this.
Thank you PLM