The Pitfall of Predictability

I was having a chat a few days ago about the difference between macro suds and craft beer when the subject of consistency for the sake of predictability came up. At first blush, many would think that knowing what you are going to get is a good thing. I would say that is certainly true of manufactured items. You wouldn’t want to buy a product that doesn’t match the stated specifications or performance guarantee. However, I don’t believe this is nearly the case with natural products, such as food or beer.

First off, I’m a firm believer in the saying, “Variety is the spice of life.” I don’t want other people to be just like me. I’d die of boredom if I ate the same thing day in, day out. I rarely drink the same coffee twice in a row. It’s the odd occasion when I buy a six-pack of beer. Monoculture is deadening and unnatural.