“They say…”
“Orange and Blue go together you know or at least that is what they say” said the lady talking to her friend in an attempt to influence her decorating decisions in a upper scale home goods store as I was walking by them Saturday afternoon.
It struck me as odd. Are we all really doing what “they say”? We all use the phrase, “they say.” Who cares what “they” say, I thought, just pick what you like. Apparently we do, at least most of us, maybe all of us on some level, I just wonder why.
Do we want to be told what to do? It doesn’t seem that way if you ask people about it yet we make decisions based on our understanding of what we think other people want from us or think of us or think we should do. Never mind if thats really what we want. We make decisions to fit in! But wait, then we all go and buy the same “special” item in the hot retail stores each season. Why? Because it is special? Is that enough? Is that really why?
Why do we want approval so much that we forego thinking about and doing what we want in favor of what “they” say? Who decides what is right anyway? Why do we seek to be spectators of “the right way” and minions of “the right way”? Why don’t we just live our lives as we see fit.
If Seth Godin is right in that Small is the New Big that mediocre will die off because it can’t be sold to us by way of mass interruption (TV ads) because we are not all watching anymore then maybe we will all run to niche stores and maybe the “theys” will go away. Or maybe more of us can be “they.” I don’t know.
I don’t really know why we do the “they say” thing but I strikes me as odd. Is it because of comfort? What do you think? Why do we do the “they say” thing? Why can’t we do the “I choose” thing?