Books Vs. Candles

A Turtle was leaving the bookstore after a particularly enlightening browsing session. The Turtle never felt bad when he browsed in a bookstore and left without buying anything. However, he did feel bad anytime he browsed in any other type of store and left without buying anything.

“Wonder why that is?” Thought the Turtle, “Seems like books are just as much a commodity as anything else, why do I find them to be easier to pass up than a candle?”

The Turtle wondered this all day. He was wondering and wondering and couldn’t think of an answer.

He met up with his friend, a Porcupine named Sammy, for lunch.

“Sammy, do you ever go into bookstores just to browse and then leave without buying anything?” Teddy, the Turtle, asked.

“Yeah of course, who doesn’t?” Sammy answered.

“Don’t you feel bad, not buying anything?” Teddy continued.

“No of course not, it’s not like it’s a candle shop,” Sammy responded.

“See I agree with you but I’m struggling to justify what makes a candle shop different?” Teddy wondered, “Theoretically books are much more important commodities than candles in terms of what they provide for the world.”

Sammy contemplated this question deeply. Teddy was right. Books were much more important to the world than a candle that smelled like a pine tree, or an ocean breeze, or a mai tai. Books helped people learn things, like what a pine tree was, and experience things, like how an ocean breeze feels, and describe things, like how a mai tai tastes.

So why did it feel bad, to both Teddy and Sammy, when they left a candle place without buying anything but not when leaving a bookstore without buying anything?

“I got it!” Announced Sammy, “Books require time and attention. Which is precious and valued. Candles require nothing other than a momentary ignition. They are passive.”

“Oh,” Teddy agreed, “Books are an imposition on my time. That’s why it doesn’t feel bad to ignore them! Right on.”

Sammy and Teddy continued having lunch. Satisfied that between the two of them, they could always figure out exactly how the world worked.