A few good things

It appears that people would rather have a great quantity of mediocre posessions than a few excellent ones. Why is this?

Does it have to do with thermodynamics, where sharp gradients are discouraged? Or perhaps mediocre people don’t take good care of their expensive goods, causing them to degrade to a mediocre level of quality (also thermodynamics). Maybe it’s just misplaced frugality, buying cheap and often. Perhaps the frequent purchasing distracts from a futile life.

Whatever the reason, I’d rather have one reliable mechanical pencil than a box of wooden ones. Or one set of plastic dishes than a stack of paper ones. Or one good friend rather than a flock of shallow acquaintances.

Maybe it’s just me.