Dichotomy If I Ever Did See One!

Have you ever observed how funny human nature is?  Seriously, have you noticed: we clean our house before a party and 25 people come traipsing through with dirty shoes; we brush our teeth before we head off to the dentist; we bring out the good china only for special occasions; we will cross the street to purchase a drink and joyfully dole out twice the price rather than grabbing a generic brew right next door? The list goes on.

I must admit, we are an amusing lot, us homo sapiens.  Contradictory in many ways, yet singular in the draw and influence we have on one another.  Some may call it a “herd” mentality, but I conger up the “Happy Cows from California” (I am so affected by advertising) and that, in fact, is not what is reality.

We primp and preen and then measure ourselves against friends, neighbors and family while they are doing the same back to us.  It appears to be a giant game of cat chasing its own tail.  Or is there something else?  Perhaps the answer is that there is a greater power that is controlling our minds and emptying our pocket books.

If Freud, as in Sigmund and the father of psychoanalysis, were here today and had a chance to chat with Abraham Maslow, known for his research that was the basis of his hierarchy of needs pyramid, we might be able to get to the bottom of this conundrum and find out what is driving even the most controlled of people to do things seemingly out of their “control”.  Both of these guys did a heck of a job studying why we humans do what we do and what drives us to do it.  If you ever take a look at the work (and I highly suggest even a cursory overview from Wikipedia or the like) of these trailblazin’ radical thinkers, it all becomes painfully obvious.

The simple truth is that our behavior is instinctive and somewhat automatic, which justifies my many actions and proves nicely why I floss away before I visit the dental hygienist… and it doesn’t have anything to do with teeth.  The fact is I really want to make sure she doesn’t get mad at us (she has quite the arsenal of pointy instruments that ultimately go into my mouth), that she likes me and that she will give me the new toothbrush when I leave the office.

Buying clothing of a certain lineage boosts the esteem, while cleaning your house so that people see it in pristine condition (and totally unlike you live regularly) is part of a bigger plan over which we have no control.

Instead of fighting the system, I have a resolution for the New Year… to embrace my actions and feel good about what I am doing and not make any excuses for my behavior.  If anyone has a problem with that they can take it up with Siggy and Abe – then see what they have to say about YOU!

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life.  Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-