28th August 2026
I spotted an egg connoisseur at the supermarket today. He was in the middle of the eggs aisle, half a dozen cartons spread open on the shelf in front of him, carefully choosing his eggs like a child in a pick'n'mix sweet shop.
It made me think, that guy must be living his life in 4K resolution compared to my 1080p. I just don't care that much about my eggs.
I wonder which of us has it better? Maybe he enjoys his eggs more than I enjoy mine, or maybe it's the paradox of choice and his omelettes are poisoned by uncertainty and second-guessing.
There's a famous quote on the subject from the utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill:
It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is only because they only know their own side of the question.
I know this argument has a special appeal to unhappy smart people, but personally I've never found it convincing. A Fool Satisfied sounds to me like a pretty good epitaph for a life well lived.