What’s remarkable isn’t the persistence of lip-balm conspiracy theories, but how common this line of thinking is. All sorts of industries are dogged by self-proclaimed junkies who blame nefarious manufacturer plots. Diet-soda drinkers say artificial sweeteners trigger a vicious cycle of carb cravings. The Internet is full of people who say deodorant makes them smellier and moisturizer dries their skin. Then there’s the growing “no ’poo” movement embraced by those who say shampoo sends our oil glands into hyperdrive. (The same idea occurred to me when I noticed that my dog, Louis, has clean, shiny fur despite his refusal to bathe; my own dalliance with the shampoo-free lifestyle lasted just six days.)
Maybe it’s the economy. When money’s tight, pricey personal-care products start looking like problems rather than solutions. And it’s hard to resist the idea that we can achieve perfection simply by reclaiming our natural, pre-CVS selves. But I honestly can’t quit the lip balm. Can you really get hooked? Carma Laboratories’ Woelbing, who reapplies up to eight times a day (for testing purposes, of course), says it’s impossible. Our lips don’t get worse when we stop using, he says; they just revert to their natural state, and when the air is dry, “that might be a little painful.” Dermatologists say he’s right—sort of. With overuse, the camphor and menthol in medicated balms can dry the lips, while ingredients like beeswax spur an allergic reaction in a small percent of the population. But that doesn’t equal a physiological dependency.
In fact, the folks at Blistex conduct focus groups on heavy users and have discovered they have something in common: They describe themselves as fidgety people who need a security blanket. “These are the pencil chewers and finger drummers who need something in their hands,” says Blistex President Mike Donnantuono. “They’re using it psychologically.” He has a point. While we love to blame our dependencies on evil conspiracies, it’s usually the compulsive lotion users, the hygiene freaks and the orally fixated soda guzzlers who develop a problem. At least my habit is cheap. As Donnantuono puts it, “For a couple bucks, you get to feel better.” That’s a statement any lip balm addict can appreciate.
I just read this article and want to share it with you, it's from the Single-ish Dating Blog by Erin Meanly.
I’ve had three really good girlfriends get dumped recently. What is up with that?! Not only am I sad for my friends, but all this dumpage has got me thinking. I’m starting to see a pattern.
I think we believe that there’s equality in dating because we can ask a guy out or plan a date or pay. But in the end, and based on what I’ve seen, we women don’t have as much control as we think. (Unless you’re a ball-buster like the (fictional!) Avery in Jerry Maguire.)
It seems like the conclusion of a relationship is almost always up to the guy, or it always starts with them. Yeah, maybe we dump them, but it’s rarely because we don’t like them any more. It’s often because they’re acting disinterested or immature and therefore making us miserable, so we have to give them the boot. Or maybe it’s just that we’re willing to put more work into a relationship, so we don’t realize as quickly as they do that it’s not right.
I’m almost always the dumpee. With dating, I tend to let the guy be the aggressor. If a guy is cool and we get along, and he acts super sure and happy and interested in me, then I can really be won over. That's when the guy pulls the plug. And since I'm so passive, it seems like if I weren’t dumped all the time, then I would’ve married like 50 guys by now. And they might have all been wrong. Well, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to the altar, but still! That’s scary!
So, is it for our own good that they choose to dump us? Is it good to be the dumpee? Are you usually the dumper or the dumpee? Which would you rather be?
