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Weird obsessiveness.

TheBrokenBee

TheBrokenBee

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Original poster
Nov 2, 2016
253
67
I don't know when it began but I was never really obsessed with keeping things so pristine. I am literally obsessed with keeping my iPhone in immaculate condition with zero scratches. It is supposed to be a tool for me but it almost feels like I've made it so much more. I was gonna take a shower and the phone was in my PJs. I hung them up behind the door when they slipped and fell to the floor with the phone in the pockets. My first instinct was that my phone is now damaged in some form and it isnt so perfect anymore. Thats just one example of many.

I am not really this crazy in other areas of my life but this is something that has become a part of me over the past few years and I dont really know what triggered it.

Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
TheBrokenBee said:
See, I know that. The logical part of my brain knows that.
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I know, I am also a bit obssesive with my phone as well. Then again a couple of weeks ago I was running for the bus when my phone fell ouit of my back pack - another person yelled to wanr me so I scoped it up and was running with it and trying to zip up my backpack and hop on the bus. BTW I caught the bus and my phone was fine - of course I have a Griffin case on it.
 
TheBrokenBee said:
I still do for some reason. Actually I dont really know, haven't gotten it yet.
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I behave in a similar way you do with a new gadget. I just prefer that they look pristine and in the best condition for as long as I own them. I also love retro hardware and what's nicer than buying a 20-year old gadget/computer that was kept in that condition? People may laugh at us and find it silly that tools are "babied", but for some of us who enjoy hardware, even collect hardware, it's a no-brainer to keep things as pristine as possible.

I do the same with my vinyls and CD/DVD/Blu-ray collections.
 
Just watch videos like these -


^ They are just exterior components that you can buy in Shenzhen for cheap. Internal parts are more important just like your internal organs are more important to keep healthy.


^ Think about when your iPhone was made or even refurbished, many Chinese people in gloves touched it already the same way people are breathing and touching your food at a restaurant when they prepare it for you.

Think of the suicides in those factories just to create this obsession some of you will have. China loses young lives. You gain an obsession over something you probably will replace in a year or two. You're just doing a favor for the next buyer. It's a tool. Not jewelry.

 
TheBrokenBee said:
I don't know when it began but I was never really obsessed with keeping things so pristine. I am literally obsessed with keeping my iPhone in immaculate condition with zero scratches. It is supposed to be a tool for me but it almost feels like I've made it so much more. I was gonna take a shower and the phone was in my PJs. I hung them up behind the door when they slipped and fell to the floor with the phone in the pockets. My first instinct was that my phone is now damaged in some form and it isnt so perfect anymore. Thats just one example of many.

I am not really this crazy in other areas of my life but this is something that has become a part of me over the past few years and I dont really know what triggered it.

Thoughts? Suggestions?
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have an unhealthy fixation on your phone. It would be worth taking some time to reflect why this is the case.

Does the phone play a central part in your daily life? Why do you think it bothers you so much for it to receive a small scratch? What reasons do you have for believing your phone is ruined after dropping it even where there are no physical blemishes? Why does your phone need to be perfect?
 
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Scotty Allen is like the Anthony Bourdain on YouTube. Strange Parts is like Parts Unknown.

I suggest what Scotty says here -


Be like Macklemore in that "Thrift Shop" song. Once you buy USED/REFURBISHED, it's liberating NOT to be obsessed with something you bought NEW that you may treat better than a new-born baby.

My PS Vita slim is used and I still love it like Angelina Jolie loves her adopted children. Refurbished saves money and lessens that OCD-ness of wanting something new to always remain perfect.
 
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mobilehaathi said:
Sounds like you have an unhealthy fixation on your phone. It would be worth taking some time to reflect why this is the case.

Does the phone play a central part in your daily life? Why do you think it bothers you so much for it to receive a small scratch? What reasons do you have for believing your phone is ruined after dropping it even where there are no physical blemishes? Why does your phone need to be perfect?
Click to expand...

I honestly have thought about all these things and can't really come up with a decent answer. I don't really know how to go about answering such questions actually. Any guidance, wise haathi?
 
TheBrokenBee said:
I honestly have thought about all these things and can't really come up with a decent answer. I don't really know how to go about answering such questions actually. Any guidance, wise haathi?
Click to expand...

It is possible that you have invested some sense of yourself into - and derive some sense of your identity - from the possession of these devices.
 
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TheBrokenBee said:
How do I fix this?
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There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep your things in good condition. I always do and get a good price for them when I sell them.
But you sound like you have a more serious issue. Perhaps some professional help might work?
[doublepost=1511294746][/doublepost]
KingslayerG5 said:
Scotty Allen is like the Anthony Bourdain on YouTube. Strange Parts is like Parts Unknown.

I suggest what Scotty says here -


Be like Macklemore in that "Thrift Shop" song. Once you buy USED/REFURBISHED, it's liberating NOT to be obsessed with something you bought NEW that you may treat better than a new-born baby.

My PS Vita slim is used and I still love it like Angelina Jolie loves her adopted children. Refurbished saves money and lessens that OCD-ness of wanting something new to always remain perfect.
Click to expand...
I could never buy a second hand iPhone. People are disgusting when they use them in the bathroom. I'd sooner not put that on my face.
 
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Functional and serviceable =/= Perfect

I carry expensive dodads everyday none of them look perfect but all of them are clean and work. Think of scratches and wear as a story that object has to tell and the memories they evoke.
 
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TheBrokenBee said:
I honestly have thought about all these things and can't really come up with a decent answer. I don't really know how to go about answering such questions actually. Any guidance, wise haathi?
Click to expand...

This isn't something you think about for 5 minutes and then throw up your hands. You've recognized a behavior in yourself and it must bother you since you went searching for some help, albeit in a less than idea venue.

You might widen your self-reflection. Think about your current day to day life, your activities. What do you value? Slow down your thought process. Consider why you might feel one way versus another. How does this fit into your daily emotional life? Why is your daily emotional life shaped the way it is? What are the external factors that influence you through the day? What are your internal reactions to those influences? Can you identify why you reacted in a particular way?

That's all hard work. The quick fix is a large dose of Thorazine.
 
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I've been told by Apple staff my iPhones look like new when I trade them in. I've been more careful since my 4s took a swim way back when. I will be surprised if my Jet Black 7+ gets the same reaction. It has nose dived onto the floor and desk a few times. Glad the phone is working just fine (iOS 11 bugs not withstanding.)

OP, do not worry about the scratch. Your Phone works well, enjoy it and embrace the battle scars. Apple always presents these phones as beautiful bling, but real world use means it may wind up beautifully banged up. :)
 
...and I just dropped my phone this evening waiting for a friend outside a shop - of course it just dropped face done onto a cobblestone sidewalk. Cracked the screen ugh. Well I have Applecare + fortunately.
 
shinji said:
Did you know that nearly half the world's population lives on less than $2.50/day?

Really puts a smartphone scratch in perspective.

https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-global-poverty
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It may sound something of a cliché, but yes, I agree with you, and find myself groaning on the lines of "First World Problems" upon reading some of the posts here.

Yes, I get irked if my nice things are less than pristine sometimes, but I have also worked in some of the most dysfunctional places - politically and otherwise (and no, I'm not referring to the UK or the US) - on the planet, and sometimes, that does help in developing an admittedly limited sense of perspective.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Was the phone in - or protected by - a case, leather or otherwise?
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Yes, a Griffin case - but of course falling screen down on a cobblestone sidewalk meant the case made no difference. I have to smirk a bit as I was feeling glad I paid it off just this week (through my phone company). Well the worst is I'll have to pay a fee and reinstall my backup (made a full encrypted backup last night) and go through the whole reauthorising my Whatsapp and Telegram etc. A lesson not to automatically pull out my phone every time I'm waiting and especially in cold weather with a long sleeved jacket. :p
 
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