Some ramblings on Aesthetics vs Practicality
Perhaps this is a rather thinly-veiled attempt to justify my obsessiveness versus an actual intellectual consideration, but here goes.
Recently, I was tasked with putting up hooks for several bags. When I say bags I mean a back-pack a simple drawstring bag and various tote bags. This seems a rather mundane uninteresting chore, I get it. BUT my mind started wandering after several ‘missteps.’
I had initially placed the hooks (two of them – needing to be placed vertically on the wall) with the thought of the backpack (a rather nice Datsusara) to be placed on the bottom hook and other various totes on the hook above.
I did have the foresight to take a rough measurement/estimation so the distance between the hooks would allow for proper hanging, without the bags overlapping on each other. This is more than mere aesthetic as the bangs are hanging in a basement stairwell with not a whole lot of width as it is. The misstep occurred when I realized the backpack, being a much bulkier item, did stick out into the stairwell too much not allowing ease of transcending the steps. This situation could not stand. So the decision needed to be, for practical reasons, to have the backpack placed on the above hook (which would then have it hang above shoulder height).
However, this seemed utterly non-aesthetically pleasing to me. The heavier, bulkier bag ‘should’ go on the bottom, with the lighter, ‘less-substantial’ bags resting comfortably on top position.
Why??
This is the hard part and the aspect that obsessed my thinking about this task. And at this point I have no idea if others would share my disagreement in aesthetic comfort, but it definitely struck me as problematic. The ‘needed’ solution (to be practical) was at odds with my aesthetic sensibilities.
After given what was probably much too much consideration here’s what I came up with:
The top position seems to ‘require’ the less-heavy item. This is the crux of my discomfort.
This is due to the fact that should the bags fall there will be less disruption/danger with the heavier item placed low and lighter items placed higher. This is true even given that there are more lighter items. Now, of course how much damage can a backpack do (especially given that it is essentially empty, usually, while hanging there). So there is a need to further explain this discomfort given that it itself is not practical (realistic).
It seems that even if the heavier won’t physically fall there is the elimination of the psychological angst that may come from removing the chance of it happening, by placing it in the less harmful position. And this, then, is what makes the placement of heavier bags on the bottom more correct.
Ah! Success. I figured it out. It’s a great reward to understand something about oneself. But, it’s yet to be seen whether this understanding is sufficient to eventually alleviate the aesthetic annoyance that continues every trip to the basement.