Human beings are fascinating creatures. We preach about minimalism and swear we want simplicity, but our hearts beat a little faster for more and bigger. We’re so addicted to “big” that anything less feels like a personal betrayal. “Bigger is better,” we lie to ourselves.
We don’t just want a burger; we want the Big Mac. We don’t just want chicken; we want the big drumsticks. We want big parties with budgets so big they need their own accountant. We want big cars with big tanks to go on big trips, burning fuel from those big tanks just to look at big mountains.
We want big offices with big windows. Big boardrooms with big tables to discuss big ideas which usually just means making the logo bigger. We want big beds with big pillows to hide us from our big problems.
And weddings? Forget intimate love stories. Today, it’s a stadium event with a crew like a Hollywood movie. There are drones zipping overhead, fireworks, confetti, and 1,000 guests you don’t actually know. Everyone wants it big.
This obsession is perfectly illustrated by our phones. They started as giant bricks, then we swung to the opposite extreme and became obsessed with tiny phones so small you’d lose them between your couch cushions. And now we’ve come full circle to giant slabs called “Pro Max,” so enormous they create their own gravitational pull and refuse to fit in our pockets.
Tech companies offer us a “choice,” Standard, Pro, and Pro Max. The differences are so minute, but they know our big-loving brains will see that one extra adjective and choose big.
But to be fair, this obsession isn’t all bad. Big ambition pushed us past “good enough” into open-heart surgery. Big dreams gave us skyscrapers, space travel, and Wi-Fi that lets us stream “those” videos in 4K. It’s okay, I won’t judge. Our love for big made us who we are.
The ugly side of big, however, is that it brings with it some big baggage. We have people in big debt because of the big party they threw. We have closets full of big purchases that brought us a small amount of joy for a very short time.
Wanting big in everything is human. It’s ambition sprinkled with dopamine and a dash of keeping up with the Kardashians. But there’s power in realizing that smaller can be smarter and even more enjoyable. A small win can completely flip your mood. A small cup of coffee won’t keep you awake for eternity. A small town offers less stress and fewer chances of getting lost.
Big is impressive and seductive. But enough is peaceful.
So yeah, go get that big phone. Order the Big Mac. Throw a big wedding if that’s your wish. Just don’t forget that the things that actually make life sweet don’t usually come in a Pro Max.
