Peer pressure

It always baffles me how some people are completely indifferent to what they put into their bodies and consume things just to "be social" - beer and wine are great examples of that. Many people I know view food and drink as fuel (which of course is partly true) but that's it for them; they're happy to scoff ready-meals and drink cheap lager and some are even dismissive toward those of us who prefer to consider these things slightly more deeply. Pretentiousness is the most common accusation levelled and perhaps in part they have a point; after all, only a tiny minority of humans on this planet are privileged enough (by birth rather than talent) to even be in a position to consider these matters. However I suspect that fairness isn't at the root of their position, to me it smells more like fear; fear of being an outsider, fear that if you don't do what everyone else does then somehow you're not doing your part or playing the game. I'd like to think that perhaps you get to a certain age when you stop worrying about what other people think and also that the truly interesting people in this world are the ones who don't follow the herd.

I guess it's all a question of priorities and of course everyone is entitled to their own. I just can't help thinking that people miss out by not trying things and experimenting, even just a little bit; by considering and comparing experiences just a little more deeply and seeking out new ones at every opportunity. Physics, Chemistry and Biology are why we're here in the first place, but experience and learning new stuff are what makes the whole thing exquisitely enjoyable.