Doing Other People's Dishes

When I think about dishes in the sink...

If you eat, there will be dishes to clean. Unless, of course, you're living off cup noodles and plastic sporks and leading the life of a broke-ass college student, then this article is not intended for you; come back later when you can afford to feed yourself. For the rest of us who use the sink for its intended purpose, read on.

Sharing is caring, and if you're looking for another way to show that you care (and possibly that you're a bit OCD and a clean freak), do your dishes AND other people's dishes that are in the sink. I never really understood this notion of "oh, I'll clean only the dishes that I've used and leave the rest of (names of people living with you)'s dishes in the sink." If you're already in the act of scrubbing and washing, then I see no point in leaving dirty dishes in the sink just because you didn't use it.

I actually think it's selfish to do so. Why? Because the moment you decide to put down that sponge and walk away from a sink still full of "other people's" dirty dishes, you're essentially saying you only care about your actions and that you are not willing to contribute to the betterment of your surrounding just because the mess was not created by you.

(For my philosophical rumination on this topic, which it kind of turned into in the above paragraph, please read the last section of this article.)

Of course, if the person/people you are living with constantly leave dishes in the sink for days or refuse to wash them at all cost, then it's time for a conversation, not a passive-aggressive "they'll learn to take care of themselves if I just don't do it for them."

Most importantly, I think doing other people's dishes shows you care about that person. You are giving the gift of time by sacrificing your own, no matter how short it may be. You are giving them peace of mind because we all know that dreadful feeling that comes with the words "dirty dishes." All in all, you do it because you care and there is no better reason.

Special Thanks

I'd like to thank my mom for being the first to show me the power of such a small, inconsequential act. In the past, I have found myself leaving dishes in the sink because I was in a rush or preoccupied with one thing or another with the full intention of washing the dishes later when I was not so busy. Many times I would come back to an empty sink and clean dishes. And every time that it happened, I would feel grateful and know that I was cared for.

Philosophy on Doing Dishes

Who'd have thought talking about doing dishes could turn into something philosophical? I didn't when I first sat down to write this. But I guess I couldn't help myself, the thinker in me just kind of took over. So I'll try to keep this short:

The way I see it, this is similar to arguments surrounding being a responsible member of the community and how certain people will turn a blind eye on something that is blatantly wrong. There are people in society who think everyone has certain responsibilities to fulfill--be a good parent, don't litter, don't waste food, be kind, be environmentally friendly, vote, uphold the law, etc. And we need these people in the world because they will hold themselves accountable and fulfill their own responsibilities.

However, these people usually also expect others to do the same and think that if they're doing their part then they've done their job, nothing extra is needed or should be asked of them, which, really, there is nothing wrong with thinking that way. I was just never raised that way.

I was raised to believe that putting in the extra effort is what will make this world a better a place. Because, unfortunately, as much as there are people who are responsible, there are as many who do not do what they are "supposed" to do. Just because people recognize their responsibility does not mean they will do it. What are the responsible people to do then? Turn a blind eye and say that's not mine to do, I've already done my share?

Let's look at a simple example: littering. Any sane person knows it's not right, morally and legally, to just throw trash anywhere you want. Yet, we still see people who don't give a second thought to littering. There are many responsible people who see a person littering or litter in general, know that it is wrong, and will still walk away without doing anything because it is not their responsibility and they are already doing their part by not littering.

Again, there is nothing wrong with this. But I was taught to be that person who picks up the trash to put it where it belongs even if it's not mine. Truth be told, I don't do it all the time, but I do believe the world needs more of this type of people, which I think is best described as altruistic.

Now, connecting this with doing dishes (finally!). I'm the kind of person that believes an individual's morals and values shine through in every aspect of his/her life, no matter how small. (Or I'm just too much of an idealist.) Therefore, I believe that people who leave dirty dishes in the sink after washing only their own are more likely to be the people who walk away in the littering example given above.

Ultimately, this article is not to criticize people who are already responsible (although it might seem that way), but to hopefully encourage those people go above and beyond.

Here ends my "short" rant on something philosophical that probably shouldn't be.

Having Informed Opinions

We all have opinions. It is what makes each one of us unique and propels us toward the choices that we make.

For example, I believe dogs are way better than cats, therefore, I probably will never have a cat as a pet.

I mean, look at that face!

For the most part, opinions are based on our preferences and beliefs, which are sometimes backed up with facts and research. These are informed opinions. When facts and research cannot be provided (i.e. in the case of debating what is "right" from "wrong"), to have an informed opinion would mean to have a knowledge of the extended discourse surrounding the issue.

But too many people are spewing uninformed opinions nowadays. What is worse is when people rely on uninformed opinions to govern their actions. Unfortunately, I suspect that this is because of the bandwagon effect. What you are ultimately saying when you fall in the bandwagon is, "Others say it is bad, so it must be bad. I won't bother looking into why because everyone is saying it." And I partly blame our high speed culture with microwave-ready mentality where knowledge needs to be served fast and easy, disregarding the quality of the meal.

Speaking of food, this segues nicely into a funny video that I found via Facebook where Jimmy Kimmel got his crew to interview people at the local farmer's market who are against GMOs on what is a GMO:

While this video is extremely entertaining, it also prompted me to write this post. They just make people who are against GMOs look bad, man! And I'm against GMOs!

But more than that, it bothers me when people state an opinion or choose to live a certain lifestyle and could not, for the life of them, justify it. They're living in ignorance! And whoever thinks ignorance is a desirable trait is deluding himself. That, or he's one of them.


A note on the issue of GMOs, for those interested: