A happy Halloween, and a very merry Christmas - for shops!
ALBERT Einstein is often quoted as saying “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.
Putting aside the fact he didn’t actually speak those words or even scribble them on a post-it and stick it on his ‘fridge, the quote never made sense to me.
Almost every day we do basically the same things we did the day before and the day before that – ad infinitum. Which I used to think was Latin for “There’s far too many adverts on TV these days!”
This applies whether we go out to work or have to stay at home to look after young children or elderly relatives.
And apart from the fact this constant repetition can make us grumpy and tired and wish it was Saturday, it doesn’t usually have a detrimental effect on most people’s well-being.
We do these things over and over without expecting different results, though if some days do bring us pleasant little surprises or moments to cherish, they might count as ‘different results’.
However, a prime example of someone doing the same thing over and over and expecting it to create change as a result, is right in front of you.
The words you’re reading now. For several years – I was barely out of school when I started writing these things – during late summer I inevitably feel the urge to complain here that shop shelves are already filled with Christmas items even before the children go back to school after the summer break.
Frankly, this is nuts.
And I can prove it…
The Porthcawl branch of a certain well-known chain store had displays of Christmas items AND Halloween tat right next to each other (‘Tinsel and Terror’, if you like) during the August Bank Holiday, while people were wandering around outside in tee-shirts and shorts, eating ice creams.
We’re being constantly ‘persuaded’ by retailers to purchase things we can easily live without, earlier and earlier before the calendar date they are linked to. And many of us go along with it.
I repeat. It’s just plain nuts.
And I might well be repeating it again this time next year.