I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I was reading this amazingly interesting article on how being motivated by a reward can kill that motivation and it reminded me of something I'd mentioned while out for dinner with some friends on Saturday night. It has nothing to do with motivation, but it does have to do with the way the mind works. It has to do with brand loyalty / recognition.
Living in America is very different to living in Ireland, systems are different, beliefs are different, roads are different, but even something simple like choosing a clothes washing liquid is different. Choosing something like clothes washing liquid is really difficult over here, and you know why - brand recognition. I have no idea what brand of washing is good. I picked washing because it's harder to choose than with food. With food, you look at the list of ingredients and you have an idea of how good the food will be. But with washing you have no idea. You don't know what different brands' claims to fame are. What one will get my clothes cleanest? What one will be gentle on colours? What one will smell nicest? You can look at price and go by that, or by the packaging, but they aren't really a guide. Price is variable and packaging is designed to be appealing.
So what to do? You pick one and hope for the best. And while you pick that one, you think back to how much easier buying this stuff is at home because you have all these brands floating around in your head. The brand you used at home might not be the best, but you believe it is, and that makes the decision easy. It's not really a decision at all.
Being out here just made me realise how much we take brands for granted - how comfortable they make us feel. They are a crutch to save us having to agonize over what product is best. Now, I know a lot of people will just pick the first product to hand, but I like to delude myself that I'm buying the best product out there, and I get uncomfortable when that delusion is shattered.
Anyway - all that said and done, I think I picked a good clothes washing liquid this time. Yeay.
You could see if you could get a few samples.
ReplyDeleteI was out shopping one day and was given a one wash sample of a washing liquid, when I got home and tried it I totally fell in love with the smell, so i went out and bought that one a couple of times. I dont know if it's washing clothes well, but they all smell nice once they are washed.
Speaking of washing machines, does anyone else's washing machine smell really mouldy?
Not really. You might want to give it a rinse with some lemon (vinegar? not sure which) to freshen it up. with no clothes in it, too, (just in case).
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