unknown
April 29, 2026
I can’t stop pilfering from other people’s plates – but don’t even think about grabbing my chips
Breakfast, lunch, dinner: there’s no meal I can’t spoil with my desire to get more than my fair share. And it’s been this way ever since I was a kid
TL;DR
- The author's worst character trait involves coveting food on others' plates and refusing to share their own.
- A Russian study suggests moral transgression can enhance gustatory pleasure, with participants enjoying others' fries more.
- Childhood anecdotes illustrate the author's ingrained habit of taking food from friends' plates.
- A particularly impactful childhood experience involved a friend scraping uneaten food onto the author's plate as a sign of contempt.
- The author also recalls a holiday incident where they desired unfinished chips from another table, leading to horrified reactions from their companions.
- The author feels a strong sense of ownership over food on their plate, making sharing difficult.
- The author acknowledges being a good cook and enjoying feeding others but maintains 'my house, my table, my kitchen, my rules.'
- Modern dining trends, particularly 'small' and 'sharing' plates, create stress due to unclear demarcation lines and the need for negotiation.
- The author finds the concept of 'small' plates and the act of sharing inherently problematic, preferring the clear ownership of a personal meal.