October 22, 2024
Don't be a snob
Micromount collectors are not immune.
Nobody likes a snob.
Snobbery is more about attitude than anything else,
and given that it is rooted in the hearts of men, the
cure is neither simple nor easy. But at the least,
thinking about it is a start.
Competition can be healthy, but it can also very easily
turn ugly.
I found the following interesting and enjoyable:
Money
When you have spent more than someone else on your yacht,
golf clubs, microscope, or mineral specimens, there is a
temptation to feel superior.
Rarity
Do you still appreciate common minerals like Cerussite and
Hemimorphite? Many "advanced" collectors get caught up in a
quest for rare minerals. If you aren't rushing to get
"your piece" of the most recently described species, you
must not be serious or one of the "cool kids".
Numbers
Are you bragging about the number of mounts in your collection?
Or maybe not bragging, but keeping track of how many species you
have and rating people by how many mounts or species they have.
No doubt there are other angles to get snobby about, but these
are a few that come up surprisingly often. In general micromounters
aren't as caught up in money games like those rich lawyers and
senators who collect big pieces -- but as the bible says, "The
heart is deceitful and wicked, who can know it?"
Feedback? Questions?
Drop me a line!
Tom's Mineralogy Info / [email protected]