Through
my observation, people who own cars are in general very much sought after
regardless of their personality. I used to joke with another friend that his
worth merely amounts to his Chevrolet. A car gives one an extra ability-to go
far in a short period of time and conveniently so, a necessity in this age of
instant noodles. Of course you may argue that if one is pleasant enough, people
would surround him/her. That is true to an extent, but have you considered this
scenario: Your group of friends is living in the vicinity of say, OUG and since
you’re the only one living in Jalan Alor, you’d end up going to OUG anyway.
Odds are stacked against you for several reasons.
You
have a good heart, but majority rules. We’re a creature of conformity, which is
why traditions hold on for so long no matter how absurd sounding it gets. From
the day you’re born, you experience social pressure. Don’t pick your nose in
public! You’d feign innocence even when you know you’re the one who is
responsible for that stinky smell. Why do we succumb to other’s desire? An easy
answer would be to maintain harmony. Well, we’re simply not crazy enough to be
testing the boundaries of propriety anyway.
Context
plays a major role as well. You have to be close enough, location-wise or
physically so that you’re easily reachable. Response cost can often motivate
our desire to work toward something, yet it can also work the other way around.
For example, if I need to drive all the way from OUG to Jalan Alor, it is by
all means taxing (time, gas cost, and sometimes health detriment). This
scenario is like getting a rat to push a lever 1000 times before it gets its
sip of water. But should your friend then say, “hey, let’s meet up at Times
Square!” you’d fly there in a heartbeat. Think about that for a second.
So
people, a good heart can get you only so far. A car will bring you further. And
maybe, I should start renting one this summer. Sigh, is it really worth it?
Shortly
after,
Vonnie S.
