Our Obsession with Shiny Things

[Yassen]

Among the many things that confuse me about humans is our obsession with shiny objects. Gold, diamonds, waxed cars, they all seem to make us stop and stare in awe of just how shiny it is. A lot of people I've talked to about this don't even seem to notice we do it. They just go "ooo shiny" and float towards it without wondering why. We especially get this in video games, we've become so spoiled by amazing looking enviroments and shiny effects that we actually get mad when they don't deliver said graphics, and may even explain why we're so bored of brown.

I'll admit I've let the magpie inside of me take control at times. It's so delightful to just bask in the sparkle of a perfectly cut jewel or admire the colour of a gold bar, but our obsession at times gets ridiculous for something that has no useful application besides just looking nice.

The best explanation I've heard for this obsession can be attributed to evolution. Our ancestors found that it was much easier to find water when we looked for its sparkle in the distance. Pure, clean water would sparkle more brightly allowing us to tell what stream or pond would be safe to drink from. This does make sense but I find it interesting that this trait somehow carried over to metals and crystals.

To add a bit of discussion value, have you ever seen this obsession get way out of hand? If we could, would you want this trait to be removed so we could focus on more practical materials or uses for them?

 

[Griphphin]

I think it's more people equating shiny or clean with being new and better than a dirtier version of something. "That's a good X, look at the sheen! So much better than that X over there, ya know?"

Shiny things are nice as well, though I'm more into things that are symmetrical while being circular.

The unity of it is pleasing to the eye for me (and it's a little shiny to boot).

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

The evolution reasoning is one that I read too on Cracked.com (interesting article overall...). I found it especially interesting when it said something about young babies actually licking a mirror if put up to one because of the instinctual connection with water.

But a great example of shiny things garnering obssessive attention? Cars.

Sure there's the paint, chrome details, decals, and absurd amount of stickers advertising, but there are the rims. I'm sure many here have seen an old junker with rims that cost more than what they're attached to over ten fold. Priorities go to the shiniest part that will inevitably be driven through some form of excrement or another, just you wait!

 

[flagship]

Because shiny is abnormal and abnormal things are interesting, most of the common objects in your life aren't very shiny.

 

[Ham_authority95]

The best explanation I've heard for this obsession can be attributed to evolution. Our ancestors found that it was much easier to find water when we looked for its sparkle in the distance. Pure, clean water would sparkle more brightly allowing us to tell what stream or pond would be safe to drink from. This does make sense but I find it interesting that this trait somehow carried over to metals and crystals.

Shit, you took my response right in the OP...

I guess when it came to the stage in human developement when we started using currency, diamonds and gold seemed like the best things to deem value because of this natural human reaction to shiny objects. Plus, people like "rare" and "unique" things because people are usually not very "rare" or "unique" within themselves.

To add a bit of discussion value, have you ever seen this obsession get way out of hand? If we could, would you want this trait to be removed so we could focus on more practical materials or uses for them?

Have you ever heard of blood-diamonds? They are the example of this obsession gone out hand...thousands of people killed for rare and "precious" stones.

And I would love to see this obsession removed from human thought(for the above mentioned blood-diamond thing and many other reasons that I shouldn't even need to state).

It would be great to see someone propose to someone with a barrel of oil rather than a diamond ring...

 

[Yassen]

It would be great to see someone propose to someone with a barrel of oil rather than a diamond ring...

As funny that would be to see there have been similar things in the past. A few centuries ago rich families would haggle marriage arrangements with land, food, workers or whatever else they had. Not exactly a token of committment and love that a diamond ring represents but even that traditional isn't as old as we think it is.

Really, in essence a proposal was just that, a proposition to marriage with an exchange to show committment either to the marriage (in the old ways) or to the person (usually what happens today).

 

[Ham_authority95]

It would be great to see someone propose to someone with a barrel of oil rather than a diamond ring...

As funny that would be to see there have been similar things in the past. A few centuries ago rich families would haggle marriage arrangements with land, food, workers or whatever else they had. Not exactly a token of committment and love that a diamond ring represents but even that traditional isn't as old as we think it is.

Really, in essence a proposal was just that, a proposition to marriage with an exchange to show committment either to the marriage (in the old ways) or to the person (usually what happens today).

Of course. Marriages were more of contracts between families to trade goods, back then. That's why the the whole "true love" thing as was so scandalous, because there wasn't any social status increasing or shit being traded. In those days, you had to trade you livestock and land for marriage if you wanted a standard of living that was above dirt.