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You know, blind testing is a really nice mind hack. For instance, I've discovered that I can't tell the difference between two brands of tea I liked, one of whi

You know, blind testing is a really nice mind hack. For instance, I've discovered that I can't tell the difference between two brands of tea I liked, one of which is cheaper and easier to find. This is a huge win! I haven't lost Refinement Points because I don't need to buy fancy tea. But I have gained money and convenience. If you're an audiophile, wine lover, or anyone else who spends a lot for quality that "others can't appreciate", I humbly suggest that you put yourself to a test. If you pass, your sophisticated taste is validated. If you fail, you can spend a lot less money and be content knowing you're getting just as good an experience.

jasonwatkinspdx 14y ago
I really think you have to go through the experience of blind testing to really get it at a visceral level how wrong your gut feeling can be and how much you're projecting what information you know onto your sensory experience.
- Derbasti 14y ago
  If you get enjoyment out of expensive stuff and you don't need the money otherwise, what's the harm? Retail therapy works, sadly. I personally think that anything that gives you enjoyment and does not harm others is a good thing. Seeing that expensive tea is just as good as cheap tea will just make me depressed about our economy ;-)
  - nathan_long 14y ago
    I don't understand what you're saying. The harm is that you're losing money. Even if you're a complete materialist/hedonist and happy with that, this makes sense for you. The money you save on tea can be spent on music, or massage, or sushi. Why wouldn't you want that? It's also possible that you'll find you actually like the more expensive tea better, which is fine. Then you'll know it's money well spent. If you really get enjoyment out of expensive stuff because it's expensive, I'd be happy to sell you some milk for $300 a gallon. Trust me, it's the best. I'll put a fancy label on it and everything.
    - Derbasti 14y ago
      Most times I value my time higher than my money and hence skip the research and enjoy my tea. And don't care one bit if there is a cheaper brand of tea out there that would be of higher quality.
      - nathan_long 14y ago
        OK, I totally agree about the time vs money tradeoff, but in my case I was taking extra time to special order something which 5 minutes' experimentation showed was unnecessary. Same could be said for an audiophile looking for perfect speakers instead of buying whatever is at the store.

jasonwatkinspdx 14y ago

I really think you have to go through the experience of blind testing to really get it at a visceral level how wrong your gut feeling can be and how much you're projecting what information you know onto your sensory experience.

Derbasti 14y ago
If you get enjoyment out of expensive stuff and you don't need the money otherwise, what's the harm? Retail therapy works, sadly. I personally think that anything that gives you enjoyment and does not harm others is a good thing. Seeing that expensive tea is just as good as cheap tea will just make me depressed about our economy ;-)
- nathan_long 14y ago
  I don't understand what you're saying. The harm is that you're losing money. Even if you're a complete materialist/hedonist and happy with that, this makes sense for you. The money you save on tea can be spent on music, or massage, or sushi. Why wouldn't you want that? It's also possible that you'll find you actually like the more expensive tea better, which is fine. Then you'll know it's money well spent. If you really get enjoyment out of expensive stuff because it's expensive, I'd be happy to sell you some milk for $300 a gallon. Trust me, it's the best. I'll put a fancy label on it and everything.
  - Derbasti 14y ago
    Most times I value my time higher than my money and hence skip the research and enjoy my tea. And don't care one bit if there is a cheaper brand of tea out there that would be of higher quality.
    - nathan_long 14y ago
      OK, I totally agree about the time vs money tradeoff, but in my case I was taking extra time to special order something which 5 minutes' experimentation showed was unnecessary. Same could be said for an audiophile looking for perfect speakers instead of buying whatever is at the store.