08 April 2009

Temptation

It's part of human nature to want what we can't have. That which is forbidden, for any reason, holds more interest than what is available. It may not be that we have no interest in the available, the available may also draw us in, but that what we can't have is that much more interesting.

This makes a lot of sense, perhaps moreso depending on your beliefs regarding the origin of man. Most of the creation stories have a 'fall from grace' moment associated with them. Pandora's curiosity regarding the closed box (what couldn't she have that was inside?) caused her to open the box, loosing evils upon the world. Eve is tempted to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree, not just because it's forbidden, but because she's told something's being kept from her, something that she'll receive once she eats of the fruit.

Perhaps it's a secret. One of your co-workers has something hidden. It's probably nothing of import but does the knowledge that there's something being kept from you gnaw at you? Distract you? Cause you to snoop where you otherwise may not snoop? Do a little detective work until that part of your brain can be satisfied?

Perhaps it's media of some kind: a movie that remains unreleased, an album that is long out of print and unavailable, or something never made available commercially. Do you hunt the internet for a copy?

Perhaps it's a tidbit from a production yet to be released. You're a fan of a TV show and the new season is approaching. Can you prevent yourself from reading the spoilers that leak online? Do you want to know that detail that you know your friends won't so you can be that ahead of them? Worse yet, a workprint of the first episode escapes to the online community. Can you not watch it?

I've got no smooth answer to this point as I'm horrible at this sort of thing. In fact, I've done most of the above, and recently as well! I'm a bad man...

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