Tuesday Word: resistentialism

Originally posted by ellesieg at Tuesday Word: resistentialism

Resistentialism is the theory that inanimate objects are hostile toward human beings, and that objects that we frequently lose, drop or otherwise have trouble with are especially intent on making our lives more difficult and unpleasant.

Is this reassuring? Well, it is nice to think that every time you're fuming over your computer crashing, resulting in the loss of an important file, or frantically searching for half of your only pair of clean socks, your anger is completely justified -- your computer is inwardly cackling, and the sock is giggling and congratulating itself on having chosen such a good hiding spot! On the other hand, it turns a cozy room, full of your possessions, into a war zone. Ahh, what a lovely painting. Too bad the only thing preventing it from strangling me is its lack of hands.

Thankfully this "malice," however, mainly takes the form of insubordination. Your stuff probably doesn't wish you were dead -- it just really doesn't want to be bothered and is determined to thwart your attempts to actually use it.

Humorist Paul Jennings coined the term in his "Report on Resistentialism," an amusing read which offers ample (fictional) evidence for resistentialism.