It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention. Does the saying, however, hold true for today’s age? It does not seem so, since the society that we live in seems to be driven by one force and one force alone – convenience.

The Era of Convenience

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this is the era of convenience. Every innovation, every solution, and every new initiative is an effort to make things more convenient. It is perhaps the most important factor that shapes lives today – both at an individual level and at a collective level.

Evan Williams, a co-founder and the former CEO of the controversial Twitter, summed it up perfectly when he said “convenience decides everything”. It seems to be true, since the idea of convenience has permeated every sphere of life.Why wash your clothes by hand when you have a washing machine? Why buy fresh fruits when you can opt for pre-cut fruits in a package? Why take the stairs when there is an elevator or escalator? Why read an entire article or a book when you can get a brief, TLDR (too long, didn’t read) version on the Internet? The list goes on and on.

Convenience, More than Anything Else

The need to make things more convenient has reached such ridiculous proportions that a large number of millennials say that cereal is an ‘inconvenient breakfast choice’, since they have to clean the bowl afterwards. Studies show that there has been a 30% decline in cereal sales in the past 15 years and one of the reasons behind the decline is that for a large contingent of young people, cleaning the bowl and the spoon after eating breakfast is too much work.

Up until a decade or two ago, brewing a hot cup of coffee used to be a morning ritual for many people. Today, a large number of people get their daily dose of caffeine at the nearest Starbucks.

Even those who brew their own coffee do not use fresh whole beans, but instead select coffee pods since they more convenient. Market research firm Euromonitor says that between 2004 and 2014, the sale of coffee pods skyrocketed by an unimaginable 138,324 percent!

The Cost of Convenience

One of the costs that Americans pay for choosing a life of convenience is the ever increasing rate of obesity among the population. For a long time, it was assumed that people from low-income groups were more likely to be obese, since they could not afford to eat healthy.

Recent data from the Center for Disease Control, however, has dispelled this myth and shown that people from middle income groups are more likely to be obese, since they consume large amounts of prepackaged food. It is, as you can imagine, the convenient choice.

Is Convenience Liberating?

Ironically, convenience was once touted as the great liberator – people could liberate themselves from the clutches of physical labor and get things done easily and quickly without exerting themselves. It was assumed that the elimination of drudgery would allow people to spend their time in useful, creative ways – to learn new skills, to spend more time with their loved ones, to see new places, and so on.

The unfortunate fact, however, is that the proliferation of technology has not improved the average person’s quality of life by a great margin.

In her seminal work ‘The Feminine Mystique’, Betty Freidan noted that despite having so many household appliances – something that women from the previous generation did not have access to – the average housewife still spent the same amount of time on chores that her mother or grandmother did.

Today, convenience is no longer about eliminating physical labor. Technology has made physical labor redundant in most spheres of life anyway. It is about eliminating mental exertion. Rather than allowing you to think, analyze, and make your own choices, technology presents everything you need, customized according to your preferences.

From Facebook to Amazon, every website collects tons of data – the movies you watch, the books you read, the clothes you buy, the food you eat, the party you vote for, and so many more. The aim is to offer you everything you need before you even ask for it and without requiring you to browse around and find it on your own.

Choosing the Inconvenient Path

Does it mean convenience is evil? Is it wrong to strive to make your life more convenient? Certainly not! The Luddite attitude of detesting technological innovation is not healthy nor is it desirable. The idea is to understand that convenience is not the be-all and end-all of life. The idea is to embrace challenges, and the hardships that come along with them, from time to time to fulfill your individual potential.

What is convenient is not necessarily good for you. Similarly, what is inconvenient is not always bad for you. Learning to play the piano is not convenient. Working out is not convenient. Cooking your own meals is not convenient. Raising children is not convenient. Each of these endeavors requires a great deal of time, effort, and perseverance on your part.

On the other hand, they also give you the satisfaction of having achieved something. They help you define yourself as a person – who you are, what you are capable of, and what your strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities are.

A large number of young people today simply do not know what it is like to do something inconvenient and difficult – something that takes them out of their comfort zone. At every stage of their life, their choices are tailor made according to their preferences – thanks to technology.

The love for convenience is so deeply ingrained in the society that people who do not conform to the convenient lifestyle and choose to do things differently are seen as weird or eccentric.

At the end of the day, life is about experiencing different things. It is important to remember that difficulty has always been an integral feature of human experience. The joy of learning something new, the fear of failure, the agony of defeat, and the sweet taste of success – these are emotions that a human being must experience at some point in their life.

As you go through life, pause from time to time to step out of your comfort zone and do things that you find inconvenient or taxing. As a wise man once said, be prepared to embrace strife and challenge from time to time. It can be your way of rebelling against the norm and retaining your individual self amidst a sea of conformity.