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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   3324 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for December 19, 2025

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I think some of the disagreement around the discernment and snobbery in coffee and other food/drink comes from seeking enjoyment vs getting [active ingredient delivery system].

But also it comes from not wanting to get on a runaway hedonic treadmill. If you refine your tastes to the extent that 70% of the market no longer pleases you, and on average you need to spend 2x to get the same hedons, have you truly benefited?

This is not a straightforward question because there are second order effects here too. For example, raising standards throughout your society may result in better quality stuff at the same or lower prices. But worth considering IMO.

I understand the point. But on the other hand, life is short and you only live once. Why settle for mediocrity if you have bit of extra money? I wouldn't say you get exactly the same hedons at twice the cost. There is, at least for a while, more pleasure, and a health boosting feeling of a bit more abundance, luxury, confidence. And you get to chat about it with fellow snobs. Might compare it to flying business vs economy class, or a nice new car vs a run-down old one. You enjoy the experiences more, even though you get used to most of that change after a while. There are things I paid a premium for, like my TV and my recliner, that I still appreciate every day, even though they impressed me more in the first few months I had them.

And, on the personality level, some people are just different and more sensitive to subtle differences. It doesn't fully make sense to talk about personal preferences as choices. You either have them or you don't. It's partly inherent to the individual's phenotype (or whatever the term is for what's unique about each baby and not just copied in from the parents' genetics and environment). Not just upbringing. There are some insensitive clods in rich families and some sensitive kids in poor families.

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