There seems to be something in the human psyche that makes each of us reluctant to eat the last cookie on the plate, especially if the cookie is part of a communal ritual. If a dozen cookies are on the plate and if a group of people are invited to “have a cookie,” no one is reluctant to eat the first one. But the last one might lie there until it turns stale. I have no idea why.
I tested my hypothesis over and over again during a year of my teaching career at Weiser High School. I came to depend on the last cookie, or the last piece of cake to sit in the teacher’s break room and wait for me until my afternoon prep period. The last cookie was always there. And I was grateful for the nice teacher who brought cookies most days.
At first I was reluctant to break the communal taboo. There was something almost sacred about the last cookie, but I finally decided I had enough strength of character to eat. If it was a sugar cookie, I’d dunk it in my coffee and enjoy.
Rod
Love it, Rod. How you doing?
Glad to find someone reading my nonsense. Thanks. Doing fine.
They won’t buy the last basket of fruit either. I worked at a fruit stand and when the last basket of yellow delicious apples wouldn’t sell my boss put it in the middle of the red delicious and it sold quickly. Perhaps we should surround it the last cookie with brownies.????????
That’s interesting. Maybe there is something to the last cookie syndrome. Sometimes I just like to sit and watch people interact with the world.