Plates and semi-related issues
In the ideal society, everyone would own one plate. Why do you need eight? It's excessive.
Oh, because you want to have people over and give them plates?
Why can't they bring their own plate? Why must everyone have enough plates for everyone?
This isn't the only thing that would make a society ideal, but every other structure and concept flows from the same idea.
Sustainability and waste control: by owning one plate rather than eight (or more), I reduce the number of plates that have to be made and eventually thrown out.
Good management of space: if I own eight plates, I need a cabinet (even more so if I also have eight bowls and more plates of various sizes). If I have one plate, I can keep it on the counter with a bowl on top and utensils in a box next to it. More on utensils later.
Keeping only things that bring delight: I don't want to own eight plates that serve no purpose but to hold my food. I might as well put it straight on the table then. I want to own one plate that is beautiful. I'll paint it or build it from stone.
Money and resource management: don't spend your money on all of those plates. Buy one and spend the money on important things. Plates number 2-8 are not important things. Don't use your resources making all of those plates. Make one and use the resources to make other things.
Basically, the ideal society doesn't waste. It doesn't unnecessary use resources or keep things around for no reason other than 'it's socially acceptable'. Why? Who made those rules?
I want to start my own society. It will be in the mountains somewhere, if anyone wants to join me. It will run on sustainability and mutual support. Capitalism sucks, but true socialism sucks more in practice. HOWEVER small communities have been successful before in the mindset of sharing and caring for those in the community. It's been done before, and it can be done again. No, these little societies don't tend to last very long before they are swallowed by the nearest large civilization, but at least they don't collapse into the same patterns that long-standing countries fall into. At least the generation of people that lived in them escaped general society. If you follow the same trail for too long, you dig ruts that you have to follow even when they aren't perfect for you. And if you want to avoid falling back in once you get out, you have to separate yourself. Society is meant to change as values change, and Western civilization is due for a change.
Where were we? Plates. Utensils is a concession that I will make. You only need one of each eating utensil, but it makes sense to have a wooden spoon and a ladle. They are both spoons, but they serve different purposes. Try serving soup with a wooden spoon, and you'll see that they are clearly meant for separate things. Serve desert on a dinner plate and there is no difference. Drink water from a tea cup? It still tastes the same. Tea cups are too small? Get a bigger tea cup. In addition to a tea cup, it makes sense to own a water bottle for easy transportation of liquids.
On a similar note, why would I put my vegetables in a plastic bag every time I buy some? I don't want a bag. I'll put them in the cart. I'm going to wash them before I eat them anyway, so what am I trying to protect them from? They've been out in the air already, so it is too late. No more plastic bags. Also no more balloons. They are useless and taste terrible when you blow them up. And no more wrapping paper. Put it in some fabric if the outside must be colourful.
This has been a rant. I hope you appreciated it. Hit me up if you want to join my society 🤷♀️.
- Aliya
Oh, because you want to have people over and give them plates?
Why can't they bring their own plate? Why must everyone have enough plates for everyone?
This isn't the only thing that would make a society ideal, but every other structure and concept flows from the same idea.
Sustainability and waste control: by owning one plate rather than eight (or more), I reduce the number of plates that have to be made and eventually thrown out.
Good management of space: if I own eight plates, I need a cabinet (even more so if I also have eight bowls and more plates of various sizes). If I have one plate, I can keep it on the counter with a bowl on top and utensils in a box next to it. More on utensils later.
Keeping only things that bring delight: I don't want to own eight plates that serve no purpose but to hold my food. I might as well put it straight on the table then. I want to own one plate that is beautiful. I'll paint it or build it from stone.
Money and resource management: don't spend your money on all of those plates. Buy one and spend the money on important things. Plates number 2-8 are not important things. Don't use your resources making all of those plates. Make one and use the resources to make other things.
Basically, the ideal society doesn't waste. It doesn't unnecessary use resources or keep things around for no reason other than 'it's socially acceptable'. Why? Who made those rules?
I want to start my own society. It will be in the mountains somewhere, if anyone wants to join me. It will run on sustainability and mutual support. Capitalism sucks, but true socialism sucks more in practice. HOWEVER small communities have been successful before in the mindset of sharing and caring for those in the community. It's been done before, and it can be done again. No, these little societies don't tend to last very long before they are swallowed by the nearest large civilization, but at least they don't collapse into the same patterns that long-standing countries fall into. At least the generation of people that lived in them escaped general society. If you follow the same trail for too long, you dig ruts that you have to follow even when they aren't perfect for you. And if you want to avoid falling back in once you get out, you have to separate yourself. Society is meant to change as values change, and Western civilization is due for a change.
Where were we? Plates. Utensils is a concession that I will make. You only need one of each eating utensil, but it makes sense to have a wooden spoon and a ladle. They are both spoons, but they serve different purposes. Try serving soup with a wooden spoon, and you'll see that they are clearly meant for separate things. Serve desert on a dinner plate and there is no difference. Drink water from a tea cup? It still tastes the same. Tea cups are too small? Get a bigger tea cup. In addition to a tea cup, it makes sense to own a water bottle for easy transportation of liquids.
On a similar note, why would I put my vegetables in a plastic bag every time I buy some? I don't want a bag. I'll put them in the cart. I'm going to wash them before I eat them anyway, so what am I trying to protect them from? They've been out in the air already, so it is too late. No more plastic bags. Also no more balloons. They are useless and taste terrible when you blow them up. And no more wrapping paper. Put it in some fabric if the outside must be colourful.
This has been a rant. I hope you appreciated it. Hit me up if you want to join my society 🤷♀️.
- Aliya
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