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Over the past 10 years, the internet has become saturated with jokes about “first world problems” and “middle class problems”. And these are valid topics to make fun of. But Simone Seol, a writer for Quartz, wanted to discuss the issue from a different angle. In her piece, “In defense of first-world problems—and the reasonable people who have them”, she notes that these problems are a sign of human achievement. We could have never complained about issues like slow wifi and our food delivery arriving cold a century ago, but now that society has advanced so rapidly, we have been able to get used to a much higher quality of life. Sure, maybe it’s turned some of us into impatient snowflakes, but that’s a small price to pay for modern day conveniences, right?
Seol went on to note that these “middle class problems” are great inspiration for art and philosophy. “In fact, some of our greatest works are born of observations that are seemingly frivolous. The minutiae of life is often where great drama is born and great wisdom is derived.” She cites Oscar Wilde’s classic play The Importance of Being Earnest, which features a silly conflict about the availability of cucumber sandwiches. Lastly, Seol says that these minor problems are invitations for mindfulness. When we find ourselves bothered by such trivial issues, maybe we can take a step back and do some self-reflection. In the grand scheme of things, is this problem really worth fretting about?
Reading this list is really making me want to apologize for every minor complaint I’ve ever made out loud. While we’re all allowed to think these things, maybe we should be a bit more choosy about what thoughts we send out into the world. Enjoy the rest of these silly, minor complaints, and remember to upvote the tweets you find most obnoxious. Also, don’t forget to watch your quinoa closely while it’s on the stove. Wouldn’t want cooking dinner to cause the worst day of your life.
