Why I Don’t Like Cut Flowers; The Lure of Instant Gratification.
The best way to describe the problems with short term gratification is the example of cut flowers. They’re romanticized as the ideal gift, and yet they’re really…morbid. As soon as you cut the stems, the flowers start to die.
I don’t argue that a bouquet of flowers is lovely to look at, and as soon as it’s placed into a vase with water, we think to ourselves, “Great! Now they can live a little longer!” when in reality, we’ve literally amputated them from the root, and for what? Because they are beautiful, quick, and low commitment.
Why are cut flowers considered a better gift than a potted plant? Well, one may argue that the potted plant takes upkeep, sure, but the main reason we do that is because simply put, we don’t have patience to grow and nurture the plant-in most cases. This is a slightly dramatic example of short term gratification.
We cut and bleach our hair on a whim for the sake of excitement. We eat a full bag of chips in one sitting because it makes the movie on television more fun to watch. Exercise is skipped because today is not the day to do it, but maybe tomorrow? It’s a dangerous game to play into, and one I admit I’ve fallen for countless times.
There’s no fool proof answer to defeat the lure of instant gratification. The only way to avoid falling for it is to constantly think of the future, which is a stressful way to live. Yet, it’s certainly better than waking up forty pounds heavier one day and thinking “where did I go wrong?”
For the record, I’m not saying you should never buy cut flowers. The opposite of instant gratification is long term gratification, and we can’t exactly live unhappily for twenty years until those sweet retirement funds hit us.
My only point is that we should try to cultivate our happiness, think about where it will leave us in the future if we act the way we want now, and consider picking up a gardening book or two.
The scent of wilted flowers in stale vase water is stronger than the sweet scent of a freshly picked rose.
