2024 Better Than What?

Better Than What?

Steven B. Zwickel.

March, 2024 

I think it started years ago when I was shopping at Sears. A young salesman was pitching something to me. He listed the “features” of whatever it was and then told me, “You should buy this; it’s better!” 

I muttered some kind of response and left, but it got me to thinking. Why should I take his word for it that what he had to sell was better? How could he possibly know that what I already had wasn’t adequate for my needs?

Of course he couldn’t know. The whole point of his sales pitch was to make me dissatisfied with what I had so I would buy something “new and improved” from him.

This got me to tuning in to situations where people were trying to get me to buy something. I realized that the vast majority of the ads I saw, heard, and read in different media were all trying to do the same thing, namely make me feel discontented.

I started paying closer attention whenever someone, not just advertisers, used the word better. The more I heard the word, the angrier I became. “Do NOT tell me that something is better,” I wanted to say. “I will be the one to decide what is better for me!”

Here’s an example of what I am talking about: I was content listening to music on vinyl discs, but they got scratched and it was easy to break them. So, when audiotape cassettes became available, I realized that they were better for someone like me. I recorded my LPs on audiotape. The cassettes were small, portable, and, when they did wear out all I had to do was make a new recording.

The arrival of CDs didn’t move me to become a customer, at first. The digital sound, to my untrained ear, had a mechanical quality. I preferred analog. People insisted that CDs were better, but I was unconvinced. It wasn’t until I inherited a large collection of CDs that I decided to buy a machine that could play them. I still don’t think digital is better than analog, but it is more convenient.

I am not anti-technology; in fact, I really love playing with new toys, especially those that provide an outlet for creativity. But I see no reason to jump in just because something is popular. I reserve the right to decide what is better, so you won’t find me on social media or carrying a smartphone. Many people have tried to convince me that I need to do so, but no one has been able to show me that it is really any better than what I already use.

In a similar vein, I have decided to resist reading about anything that an author labels “important.” As soon as I get to the word important, I stop reading. I think I should be the one to decide if an artist, an event, or a publication is important. 

I feel the same way about anything called significant and I am very wary of anything referred to as iconic. Can something be significant or iconic if I’ve never heard of it? I think I should be the one to determine if something is significant or iconic.

After you have read all the way through this important essay, I assure you that your life will be better than it was!