I wholeheartedly concur with the gist of this sentiment.
An example from my own life.
I’m an avid coffee drinker, and consume 2 doppio espressos a day.
I’m often asked why I don’t just buy an espresso machine and save some money.
To which I respond:
- I look forward to the small interactions when I order coffee
- I build a sense of community where I live/work
- I enjoy the opportunity to tip and give back( albeit in a very small way)
- I’m buying something I like everyday, and this leads to a sense of fulfillment
- I don’t accumulate anything that I need to lug around/maintain
I love this reasoning about the espresso machine because it highlights how easy it is to label humans as being irrational when you're just focused on one or two dimensions (cost), but it turns out that humans are generally very rational if you just don't evaluate them on a crappy, limited model of rationality.
