“In the winter that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm, and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer it’s directly in the path of a cross breeze created by open windows there, and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct, thus discouraging conversation, nor so far wide to create a parallax distortion, I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.”
The detailed explanation offered by Dr. Sheldon Cooper makes me laugh and also leaves me with a sense of puzzling familiarity. There is a Sheldon inside me, guess inside all of us, who is obsessively compulsive and possessive about the Spot.
Sheldon’s Spot is a metaphor that represents a space or an object or a relationship or anything that one has deep attachment with. Something that is non-negotiable, something that is not for trade. The loss of which, even if temporary, can cause anxiety, discomfort and possibly Hulk level anger.
Why do we feel so attached with the Spot?
As Sheldon puts it, “in an ever-changing world it is a single point of consistency.”
We inhabit a society undergoing rapid changes. Be it technology or lifestyle, everything is evolving at breakneck speed. A club that was the talk of the town till yesterday loses footfall today. Product life-cycles have shrunk, a gadget bought today is rendered obsolete tomorrow. Oh and the workplace? Workplace is evolving just like that damn mutating virus. The corporate position which was so aspirational a few moments ago, now looks irrelevant.
For those who grew up in a relatively sedate era, say the 90s; getting acclimatized to this pace can be exhausting. Hence some of us engage in nostalgia, while others constantly look for anchors and having found one, it becomes difficult to let go. For such an anchor provides a sense of stability in a volatile environment. Losing or letting go of the Spot can be frightening.
Question is; is it ok to obsess over the Spot? Is it ok to be uncompromisingly possessive? Is it healthy in the first place? Psychologists will most probably disagree with me, but my answer to the question is a Yes, though there is a catch.
It is ok to have maniacal attachment with our Spot, provided the Spot (obviously if it happens to be a person) doesn’t mind that and as long as our obsession does not affect those around us. Of course this is easier said than done. Most of us do not realize our excessive attachment and even if we do, we are unwilling to let go, discomfort of others be damned. That is where it gets unhealthy. However, if we can manage that tightrope walk, then the Spot does works like the balancing stick.
I may enjoy the occasional cup of coffee at Starbucks but tea at Tilak is my Spot. I may visit and explore different spiritual destinations but the dilapidated temple in my village is my Spot. I enjoy listening to pop and rock but Kishore Kumar is my Spot. The warmth provided is different, incomparable and non-negotiable. These are safe Spots.
Well, there is another Spot that I am obsessed with and I won’t say that I adhere to the health protocol I mentioned above, but if my life were expressed as a function on a 4-space/four-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, that Spot, at the moment I first sat on it, would be (0,0,0,0), so I have placed it in a state of eternal dibs.
What’s your Spot?
#TBBT #Dr.SheldonCooper #That’sMySpot
Aisle Seat Stories 