Slack frees us to indulge in castaways. It allows us to buy an exotic canned soup or a remote-controlled model airplane on a whim. With slack, we do not feel compelled to question how really useful an item will be. We do not ask, “Will I end up using that juicer enough to make it worthwhile?” or “Will I really ever wear that bold pair of shoes to warrant buying them instead of a pair of pants?” Because there is no trade-off, we simply think, “Why not?” Since slack frees us from trade-offs, it licenses us to buy items that on their own, devoid of any other considerations, have some appeal. The
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