There’s a display box that I walk by every other day in a busy student center building here. It’s a lighted display box, and inside is some information about the anthropology department or something (it changes every semester or so). The light is operated by an easily-accessible button, and as such, is switched from on to off countless times everyday, I’m sure.
What interests me is the way people approach the light situation in their own minds. Some people–not everyone–I’m sure strongly feel the switch should be on, and make sure it’s on every time they pass. It’s kind of amusing to see this play out for those few who feel the exact opposite–because for sure I occasionally see someone pass by and make sure the switch is off.
What a trivial set of attitudes, but an amusing set of resulting behaviors.
To me, at least. I mean, it’s like watching a mass of pedestrians at a busy campus intersection making up their own rules about when pedestrians should cross, and when drivers should yield. And the drivers making up their own as well. Then watching the same drivers and same pedestrians switch roles (ex. a few days later when the driver is now walking and the walker now driving), and argue the opposite points because it’s more convenient and salient to them.
Maybe that’s the point. We form attitudes about things that are salient to us and in our face. But we spend so little time thinking about how meaningful those attitudes really are to us.
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