The Mythical Best

I've been fairly nice and educational with my posts thus far, but now I'm annoyed at something that doesn't have two sides. Only one truth. There is no such thing as "the best", and people who chase is are wasting their time, money, and lives on selfish frivolous things. Here's why.


The best is defined as : better than all others in quality or value: most skillful, talented, or successful: most appropriate, useful, or helpful. That's fine and dandy, but what people realize is that this is a static term. Life is a fluid event. It progresses every day, and what was best yesterday has been replaced by something better. The most obvious place of this happening is technology. There are lots of examples, but one that probably everybody is familiar with is race to get the newest i-phone/pod/pad. People line up for days to get a brand new phone, tablet, or mp3 player because it's BETTER than their current i-phone/pod/pad which they bought last year. Plus, in a year they will do it all again to buy the new i-phone/pod/pad because it's better. It's not just Apple nuts either that do this. Android phone users, Dell computer purchasers, HP printer users, Flat Screen Watchers, Nintendo/Playstation/XBox players, and every other tech device out there is treated the same way by many of their users. They have to have the best so they buy a new expensive device and throw away their perfectly functioning Star Trek device away. 
I have had an i-pad (the original i-pad) since they came out. I wanted one because it would help me with school. I could carry it around, use it to take notes, download books, and generally streamline my school efforts. Plus it had the bonus of being a mobile game device, a gateway to my netflix account, and a lot of other really cool things as well. Guess what, that's what I used it for. I never upgraded to the newer better ones because what I had was just fine. It already met all of my needs and then some. It still does four years running. I only upgrade my phone when it breaks, or my contract renews and I get a free (or almost free) phone. Generally I treat everything in my life that way. I keep it until it breaks, or I decide I am ready to upgrade it. 
People often quickly agree with that, but another one that bothers me is food. I can't stand places and things that label their food products as the best. Best to who? Yourself and other people you paid to say that? I don't have a problem with people saying it's the best to them. That's fine because we all have our personal tastes, but restaurants can't possibly say their food is the best. Even if 99% of the population says it is, because there is still 1% that says it isn't. Which means it can't be the best. 
I'll prove that you're wrong about even what you consider to be the best food too. Without statistics, studies, or any evidence outside of what I'm about to say. All you have to do for this to work is be honest. Think of the very best restaurant meal you've ever had by yourself. Now think about the best time you've ever had eating dinner with your closest friends. Which food was better? If you can honestly say that restaurant food alone is better than normal food with your closest friends, then I'm sorry that you have bad friends. You see, psychologically things are better if we are either lied to so we believe they are better, or we have a good time doing them. So while we may remember the restaurants food as being good, maybe even "the best" restaurant food we've ever had. We remember the normal food with our close friends as being better because we had a good time with them. (Ok, a little evidence)
So, is there anything wrong with buying something that is "the best"? No there isn't. I like all of the best things in life just as much as the next guy. Just don't waste your life chasing it. Realize that in a few months, weeks, or even days that something better will come out, and then be ok with what you have.