In my volunteer work we occasionally run across people who simply seemingly can't resist adjusting everything in sight. Regardless of whatever it is, a cell phone, computer, smart device etc. they seem to have an inbuilt compulsion to adjust things. Even if no adjustment is necessary. This frequently breaks the item and they usually have adjusted more items on the device before we hear about it.
These issues can be really challenging to solve because frequently the person doesn't remember all the things they've changed. So the usual scenario is we fix up the device and the person is happy but I also know that they will be back. This happens frequently enough that it is got me thinking what is going on with these people. Why are they making their lives more complicated. My philosophy is so much simpler… "If the thing works, leave it alone."
Sometimes I think it's a need to control their environment however that is not always the case because if you do manage to get them to leave something alone then there's a good chance they will leave it alone permanently, ignoring all the signals when they should be taking action. Their behaviour is very much like a switch it's either all on or it's completely off and ignored.
Now to be honest and clear I am somewhat the same I can get trapped in a downward rabbit hole of adjusting something until it is perfect, or I frustrated the heck out of myself, which ever comes first. But I am aware of what I'm doing and why. So the rabbit hole adventure doesn't happen too often... Except it just did. If you look at the graphic at the top of this post you'll notice an odd background. I was playing around with my graphics tablet when I accidentally created this. And of course I spent a ridiculous amount of time tweaking everything about it. Now that I think back on and it's kind of frustrating because I know darn well that displays very greatly. What looks fantastic on my desktop monitor may look very poor on the template. Or at least very different. You would think knowing that for certain would mean that I would opt for the safe and reasonable. But no… We can't do that can wait :-).
Tell me your stories in the comments down below so that at the very least we can come to know this interesting behaviour and maybe make it our own and start a new trend in social media.
I wonder if this tinkering and for ever adjusting is more like an addiction for some people? They do tend to go a little odd if you manage to get in the way of their regular routine of for ever twiddling the knobs. I recently worked on an old computer running Windows 7 and the person that owned it had put in everything and it was the ultimate version of everything. As a result this little old computer came to a grinding halt. I cleaned it up for them and told them to be kind to the old machine and consider it more of an heirloom than anything useful. But within a day I heard back from them that the machine was overheating. Upon a little more investigation they admitted they put everything back and perhaps even more. I wasn't mad when I heard this. I think more astonished would be my state of mind.
Around and around these odd behaviours go. The universe really should have provided an instruction booklet for the human race. Not one about culture, but one that deals with getting to know your self.
Do you know people like this, have you worked with them? Even better have you got any insight? Leave your comments below.
Take care Patrick.
No comments:
Post a Comment