WILL WILKINSON ON HAPPINESS: “the fact that you think you know what’s best for me doesn’t mean I don’t really need my nose hair trimmer or my stuffed armadillo. I have my reasons.” The more detailed version is here.

Personally, they can have my stuffed armadillo when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Update A reader, whose name I omit to protect the innocent, emails:

I don’t need a nose hair trimmer, my friends and coworkers need me to have a nose hair trimmer. And they have let me know on occasion.

Faster than you can say “negative externality“, it’s consumer products to the rescue!