I think it revolves around the fact that these days we can afford to go hi-fi and seek something like finesse at nearly everything. THis is usually a sign of f

I think it revolves around the fact that these days we can afford to go hi-fi and seek something like finesse at nearly everything. THis is usually a sign of filling some sort of a void because one needs to have the time, motivation, and energy to narrow yourself down in the array of products and options. Some time ago, nobody could care less about the taste of water. It was just great if you got it from the tap and you didn't die of it, and even greater if you also got hot water from the same outlet. Water was water and the more pure and clean it was the less it tasted. Water doesn't in itself taste of anything. Some time ago, nobody could care less about which make, model, or brand your car was. If you owned a car in the first place, that was in itself remarkable. Maybe there were cheap cars and expensive cars, but as far as everyone was concerned just about any car was more convenient than horse wagons or walking. It's no longer like that. At some point of your life you buy your first stereo set. If you keep thinking about it, you'll probably upgrade to basic hi-fi loudspeakers and amplifier later. Unless the price ranges become too high for you, you will probably go through a few iterations of more and more expensive equipment that you each time consider a bit better choice for your audiophilic needs. Depending on your financial situation and what matters to you most, you go hi-fi with some areas in your life and stay at a basic level with other areas. It can be it gardening tools, computers, biking gear, hiking gear, cars, power tools, mobile devices, clothes and fashion, restaurants and cuisine, hobbies, sports, ordering your latte in a coffee shop, or just about whatever you happen to get into. For a lot of people in western economies, that is so. We can afford to distinguish ourselves and our appearance in search for who we are, and because who you are is a major question for everyone it is a huge void to fill. Pour in the brands and fool yourself to think there's a difference! At one extreme, some people can be really anxious about their choices and it seems as if their identity fumbles down into pieces if they could only find a bottle of San Pellegrino instead of Perrier. Most people stick with something and try to rationalize it away to avoid constant reconsideration of their choices and thus, their identity. I'm a Perrier man because it's the most original water. Or a Marlboro man. Or I drive a BMW because it allegedly has the best technology that gives me the best drive. Or I chose my headphones because Sennheiser gives the cleanest sound. At the other extreme, there are people who have some sort of innate balance about themselves and somehow they manage their lives without paying much, if any, attention to what water they drink, what car they drive, or what clothes they wear. And when they do decide to choose something, they understand the irrational and almost comical nature of their preferences. Some people can recognize tastes between different waters. Some people do, yet they decide it doesn't matter.