Thought of the Day 03.19.10

Apparently flip-phones and I do not get along, since every one I’ve ever owned has eventually broken at the hinge. The one I bought a year and a half ago broke after six months. When I had it replaced, the salesman admitted they had a design flaw, which had been corrected in the replacement. So naturally, I went back to the store expecting another free phone since it had been less than a year for this one.

But the salesman told me that the warranty was only for one year from the original purchase date, which I complained was pretty lame. But then I realized that I essentially wanted the company to supply me with an infinite stream of overlapping phone warranties rather than just one year of proper functioning, which is more fair.

I caught myself wanting all the benefit on my side of the transaction, and so I apologized to the clerk for complaining about not getting enough for free. In a society where I already get so much for so little, I still have to constantly fight my impulse toward ingratitude when I don’t get everything on the best possible terms for me.