Kuchisabishii, the need to want (more)

Kuchisabishii. It literally means 'lonely mouth'. Essentially, it means eating when you're not hungry. Or, eating for the sake of eating - like the Bengali word, 'chokhhu-khidey' (picture hungry), when you're hungry after seeing a dish. What applies for food is applicable for other desires. Like money. You have 'enough' money - let's first agree on that - but you still want more. Ergo, kuchisabishii goes beyond food.

Like magpies, humans are drawn to shiny - or, in the case of food, crunchy - things. Maybe it's a rebellion against the structured, over-scheduled lives we lead that we want that extra more. We can draw in Darwin to explain why need MMM - much, much more - money than we need to be comfy. But the fact is, it's comforting to imagine excess to be a buffer for hard times. Even if hard times actually will never come. But kuchisabishii, as a craving to eat without being hungry, is a bonding experience. Shared stories of midnight raids to the fridge create an unspoken camaraderie among family members. Similarly, the urge to earn MMM is a social act, telling people (read: society) that you can spare, and more. So, next time you find yourself nibbling on that stray samosa or pizza slice, remember: it's not just a snack. It's a nod to a universal truth that, sometimes, we all just need a little something to keep our mouths company.