I've been reorienting my priorities over the past year, so an article containing a list of the most overrated things grabbed my attention. I lost the link to the below list, but you can find similar lists all over the internet with a little Yahooing
These were the items on the list I agree with:
Celebrity Gossip
Professional sports
TV
Starbucks coffee
Nightclub
Champagne
Movie Stars
iPhone
New Years Eve
Justin Bieber
I'm agnostic about these...
Extravagant Weddings
Getting a Ph.D
IQ
... because it all depends. If you can afford an extravagant wedding, I say go for it. Same for a Ph.D. Basically, if you're doing it with your own money, it's your own business.
I also don't discount IQ. Intelligence is important, but there are also valuable smarts that are not measured by standardized testing. Release an intelligent Ph.D among Mongolian yak herders, or into the wilds of Yemen or inner city America, and see who's the smart one...
I disagree with these items that appeared on the list:
Career
Religious sentiments
Sex
Career is important. Having a rewarding career can be a source of happiness and satisfaction. It can provide a measure of autonomy that comes from earning your own money and determining your own future.
I don't even know why religious sentiments made the list. What do people have against others holding their own beliefs?
And sex... Well, it goes without saying, and it depends on why it's on the list. I wouldn't call it overrated, but I do believe it's overexposed. It's great when people keep it to themselves, but do we really need so much attention on it in our culture?
My Short List of Overrated Things:
Automobiles
Anything emanating from government
Politicians
Political pundits
Conventional wisdom
Arguments over sports
Partisan arguments
Eating out
My Short List of Underrated Things:
Classic Literature
Philosophy
Playing a musical instrument
Spending time unplugged
Freeware and shareware
Home cooking
What's on your list of overrated and underrated things?
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