What we have here is life's ancient scales, teetering with Quality on one end and Quantity on the other. Often each in proportional opposition to the other
Throughout the eons, the scales have usually tipped in favor of quality. At least to the extent there was always so few quantities of everything needed. Arable lands...eatable foods...functional shelters... marriageable mates. Then starting about 1800 the scales shifted as the numbers of our options swelled exponentially. Not only with essentials, but with relentless swarms of non-essentials as well. From pleasures to outright indulgences. We saw them, we wanted them, now we need them.
The name for this is Consumerism. OK, there are nicer-sounding labels like Capitalism; oh and especially like Progress. Whatever we call it, it's often quantity at the expense of quality. Consider the sheer quantity of options in our produce aisles, clothing racks, video stores, car dealerships, TV programming, sports stadiums, concert schedules, even religions. They simply all can't be of quality. No matter. Name your game and -- if you live in the industrialized world -- and it's right there at your fingertips!
Speaking of fingertips, the digital industry now reports in ad after ad that their latest phones offer our fingers "over 425,000 apps." That's more apps than there days in an average lifetime...! Come on folks, isn't it time we start asking the carnival barkers to explain just why we need everything they're pitching...? Better yet, isn't it time WE start asking ourselves...?
Or could we be afraid of the answer.
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Jack, you are correct when you say, in an industrial world they can't all be of quality. I worked for a company whose plant foreman made it clear that quality was second to quantity, as long as product rejects were less than 3%. In the recording industry however, QUALITY ruled! I grew up in the latter world and quality still governs my life.
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