“Oh my” is an expression used by people when they are surprised either in a positive or negative way. The expression has morphed into “OMG”, which could mean oh my gosh, oh my goodness, oh my god, or even oh my “gulay”. The abbreviation is commonly used for SMS, instant messaging and other related forms of communication.
Some people refuse to use “oh my god” either because they don’t believe in one or because they feel that using the name of God in this manner is in violation of the second of the Ten Commandments (i.e. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.)
Umay, on the other hand, is akin to being tired of a certain food. In the broader sense, umay can mean feeling nauseous from having too much of anything, even of a good thing.
If we refer to “oh my” as the expression used when getting a pleasant surprise, the spectrum of emotions from “oh my” to “umay” actually reflects a well-known law in economics called the law of diminishing marginal utility.
Simply put, people will enjoy less and less of a product or service that they purchase repeatedly. The first experience with the product or service will elicit an “oh my” response. But repeated enjoyment will make people experience “umay”. Demand for that product or service will therefore drop and people will move on to other products or services with higher perceived utility.
Restaurants take advantage of this law in economics when they offer “eat all you can” buffet’s. Restaurants offering such buffet’s hardly go out of business from just overeating of customers (because customers already begin to experience “umay” just on the second trip to the buffet table).
People’s wants are insatiable. Once they grow tired of one want, people move on to the next. People need to know when enough is enough so that they can be satisfied with what they already have and avoid the “umay” experience. To many this may be hard to do. In reality, it is. But as they say, no pain no gain. So here are three steps to help out.
First, people need to do simple mortifications for around a month to develop that habit of killing the small desires of the flesh. These should be as simple as taking coffee without sugar, waking up 30 minutes earlier or reducing cigarettes consumed by one stick a day. Aristotle once said that people are what they do repeatedly and that excellence is not one act but a habit. Small financial mortifications multiplied by daily repetition will equal financial discipline that will eventually lead to contentment.
Second, people should set goals in life and get busy trying to achieve them. The temptation to experience other “oh my’s” sets in when the mind is idle.
Third but by no means the least, ask for grace from above.
Now wouldn’t you want to have nothing but pleasant surprises in life?
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