Misconception

Completism

Wanting to read every book written by a certain author, collecting pottery made at a particular factory, walking to the highest point in every nation, wanting to photograph every known animal within a certain category. Completing something runs in parallel with curiosity. Filling gaps. Gaps being something not yet done. When we complete what we set out to complete, we get a little reward inside our head. We are driven by reward so that in no surprise. The reward does not last very long though. Completion means, no more to do. The drive to complete is no longer there. We must find something else to complete.

I recall a friend going to the shop every day to buy stickers, hoping to fill an album. The hunt for the last few became quite expensive - for the parents that is. When he finally completed the album, he tossed it aside. The album was devised by someone that knew many would want to complete it. They wittingly or unwittingly worked out that people will go to great lengths to complete something. The company made it deliberately harder to complete by ensuring some stickers were rare.

When we find something out, a gap is filled, and we no longer pay much attention to what we wanted to discover. Unless a discovery leads to more questions. Likewise, once something is complete, we stop caring about it, unless we expand what we are trying to complete.

People claim that they have visited every nation. Who decides whether a visit is a qualifying visit. Does one have to stay in the nation for a certain period of time for it to count. If so, who decides how long. What counts as a nation. Who is the judge of that. Are you going to be the judge of what counts or appeal to others. Do you want it to feel official. Rule-makers and their rules. Power and control. Surrendering to officialdom unnecessarily is weak. Anyone that says they walked all the way around the world is lying. They did not walk across the sea. Some fly home for a funeral, then resume where they left off, on their so-called walk around the world. Many will undoubtably enjoy the pursuit, the exercise, and the test of endurance. These challenges get us out and about and provide a focus so maybe we ought to avoid sneering too much.