Danny ChaiWe had dinner with Joe, Grace, and Janice one night and an interesting theory came up during the conversation: despite the crazy numbers of people in general and singles in particular, it’s harder to get into a relationship in NYC than it is elsewhere. The reason being, in New York, you can get whatever you want, whenever you want. Any time you feel like anything, with just a little bit of effort, you can get it. It’s consumer heaven.
It was thought by some that this seeps its way into the subconscious of the people, with the result that when people meet other people, they can’t help but think somewhere in the recesses of their minds that there is someone better out there. In a place where you can find the perfect pizza, the perfect bagel, or perfect whatever, you can’t help but subconsciously feel that you can similarly find the perfect mate, and be just a bit less willing to work at something that seems less than perfect.
I found that absolutely fascinating. I know New York pretty much not at all so I can’t really say if it’s true, but my suspicion is that it is. Not that everyone goes around thinking they can do better. Just that the consumer-friendliness of the place seeps into the subconsciousness.
At any rate, there’s definitely truth to that in American society in general, and not just related to relationships. It’s so easy here to get what we want, and advertisers tell us that we should get what we want when we want it; even that we *deserve* it. It’s no wonder why lasting marriages and Christianity are so culturally unpopular. Both are defined in large part by what you give, not what you get. Not the most ad-friendly message.