As initially silly as it feels to say this, I think testing is part of what makes life interesting. Testing constructs and other people is part of this for some of us; however, I think the self-testing we do constitutes a great chunk of the “interesting” part.

Some of these are tests of time:

• How much longer can I sleep before I’ll miss the 24 and show up late for my 8:30?
• How late can I wait until submitting my final blog post before Professor Stotland grows disgruntled from these products of procrastination?

Some are tests of strength and speed:

• How quickly can I finish this coffee before I develop second degree burns where my taste buds should be?
• How many groceries can I carry before needing to pay for delivery?

Others are purely self-destructive:

• How many shots of Grey Goose can I take before I can no longer pay rent or make it to my final exam tomorrow?
• What is the number of times I can play this disgustingly popular song before I hate it and myself?
• How many times can I prod my sleeping cat before he disfigures my face?

We test ourselves constantly. Sometimes we exceed or fail to meet our own expectations. Sometimes we don’t know if we’ve passed, and other times we change the criteria so we do.

I think we’re bored creatures, despite that we get so overwhelmed that “bored” doesn’t exactly resonate. I think personal challenges provide us with flow experiences- at least when the tests are fair and engaging.

I say “we” and “us”, but I really mean “I” and “me”. I’ll have to test you before making the claim that my madness is generalizable.