I realized today that Comfort is tyranny. Let me explain why.

It is cold where I live. So I had two oil filled electric Heaters. I like those heaters because they are quiet and safe. I don’t think twice about leaving them on during the night. Other types of heaters I only leave on while I can monitor them because they seem so unsafe.

Well the two Electric Heaters weren’t keeping me warm enough during a very cold period. So I went to the store and there was another heater on the shelf. It was the only heater, so i thought I’d give it a chance. Didn’t look like anything special to me but for $40 its worth trying.

I plugged it in and it has been fantastic. Yes it is slightly noisier since it has a fan, but the fan really increases the amount of heat that it produces. It took a few days but I have learned to trust it enough to leave it on low during the night.

So this morning when I woke up instead of it being cold, it was very warm and comfortable. I wouldn’t have had that experience if the oil filed heaters were available. I probably would have bought another one of those. What we are mentally and emotionally comfortable with is not always the best choice. Sometimes we have to go out of our comfort zone, to get into a better comfort zone.

So I challenged myself to buy this, and because of it, I am warmer in the morning and all the rest of the time. Does this mean I am sold on this model? No I still have the oil heater in my bedroom. However I am accepting that oil heaters while good, don’t provide enough heat at certain temperatures. Everything has a weakness, and being realistic and intelligent is only helpful in life.

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