New York and the Bungee Jump
New York, by nearly anyone’s standard, is overwhelming. Every cliché about it is pretty much true. It is filled with people from every walk of life. It does have something for everyone. It does have pushy people. It’s alive, exciting and diverse. And, of course, it’s expensive.
In many ways, New York is like the bungee jump (or the sky dive, if you like). It’s an experience that in some ways is grueling and in other ways exhilarating. In the end, one is glad they did it, but also aware of the amount of money spent. Almost everyone who has bungee jumped says that they loved it, but wouldn’t necessarily pay the same price to do it again, which makes actually a lot of sense. With almost all goods, there is a diminishing utility in consumption.
But bungee jumping is much more than just bouncing up and down. It’s an exercise in will. The nervousness of arriving and watching others do it and suiting up and getting to that ledge and actually jumping off the ledge is nothing less than absolutely intense.
Overcoming this anxiety and having courage, for lack of a better word, is largely what the jump is about. One needs to be the type of person who is able to do it in order to actually do it. Like a college degree or a medal, the jump is a badge that proves one has a little more something than everyone else.
Though visiting New York is hardly a badge, people do use living in New York as a badge. Just as people enjoy being able to tell others about how they love spicy food and don’t sleep more than four hours a night, people like living in New York. Taking the intensity day in and day out gives them a feeling of worth. They tolerate the rush, the crowds, the pushiness, the dirtiness and the noise. They deal with the long commutes, the small apartments and long workdays. Even more impressive, somehow they overcome the costs of living (some even are able to do it without help from daddy or their rich spouse). For Christ’s sake, the “New York, New York” song even lauds this feat.
But, to be fare to New York and the bungee jump, even if we ignore the illusion of self-worth created by doing an arbitrary action, they are still fun by themselves. This, I suppose, gives them an edge on the marathon.
In many ways, New York is like the bungee jump (or the sky dive, if you like). It’s an experience that in some ways is grueling and in other ways exhilarating. In the end, one is glad they did it, but also aware of the amount of money spent. Almost everyone who has bungee jumped says that they loved it, but wouldn’t necessarily pay the same price to do it again, which makes actually a lot of sense. With almost all goods, there is a diminishing utility in consumption.
But bungee jumping is much more than just bouncing up and down. It’s an exercise in will. The nervousness of arriving and watching others do it and suiting up and getting to that ledge and actually jumping off the ledge is nothing less than absolutely intense.
Overcoming this anxiety and having courage, for lack of a better word, is largely what the jump is about. One needs to be the type of person who is able to do it in order to actually do it. Like a college degree or a medal, the jump is a badge that proves one has a little more something than everyone else.
Though visiting New York is hardly a badge, people do use living in New York as a badge. Just as people enjoy being able to tell others about how they love spicy food and don’t sleep more than four hours a night, people like living in New York. Taking the intensity day in and day out gives them a feeling of worth. They tolerate the rush, the crowds, the pushiness, the dirtiness and the noise. They deal with the long commutes, the small apartments and long workdays. Even more impressive, somehow they overcome the costs of living (some even are able to do it without help from daddy or their rich spouse). For Christ’s sake, the “New York, New York” song even lauds this feat.
But, to be fare to New York and the bungee jump, even if we ignore the illusion of self-worth created by doing an arbitrary action, they are still fun by themselves. This, I suppose, gives them an edge on the marathon.
posted by American Dilettante at
5:48 PM
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