Anthropomorphism

[Bigun]

Just before christmas I pulled out of he e-waste at work a couple of shiny boxes, made by Fisher. One is a tuner. The other an integrated amplifier. I was curious about what was inside them. I opened the amp and found a nice transformer that I thought could be re-purposed to a future project. Not much else of use though. Then I saw two burned out fuses. I replaced them. The amp seems to work now. I just can't make myself pull that trafo, even though the amp is nothing special (STK output modules). I mean, it's like the amplifier doesn't deserve to die.

Now I realize, I'm anthropomorphizing this amplifier.

Is this a common behaviour ???


p.s. from Wikipedia
"Anthropomorphism or personification is any attribution of human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to other animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid-1700s."

 

[counter culture]

Once, years ago, I sold a violin that I rarely played to buy some tickets for a Grateful Dead concert.

Years ago. I mean, ~45 years ago. The sense of loss was totally out of proportion to the object or the act.

It's a good job I'm not called on to wring a chicken's neck to make soup.

 

[jackinnj]

Once, years ago, I sold a violin that I rarely played to buy some tickets for a Grateful Dead concert.

Like Elwood trading the Cadillac for a microphone?

The Blues Brothers - You traded the Cadillac for a microphone? - YouTube

 

[Budgie]

I catch myself doing similar things. I'm reluctant to delete songs I don't like from ripped cd's. It feels cruel, somehow.

 

[DF96]

40 years ago I stripped old valve radio sets for parts. Now I wish I still had the intact sets in working order. At the time they were merely a bit old and clapped out; now they would be valuable antiques - not necessarily in monetary terms but aesthetic terms.

 

[Bigun]

I don't fancy storing this amp for 40 years (apart from the fact I'll probably be dead) !

 

[Circlotron]

Twenty-five years ago when our older son had just started school we decided to teach him a big word just for fun. The word was "anthropomorphism", which was why this thread caught my eye. One day his opportunity came. The teacher asked "does anyone know a big word?" His little hand shot up and he told everyone. The teacher was somewhat surprised and asked him what it meant because she didn't know. He answered "Well, Thomas the Tank Engine has a face, but real trains don't. That's what one is." He couldn't get home fast enough that day to tell us about it 🙂