In the back of our counseling office there is a kitchen. In the kitchen there are some little bins that sometimes have candy in them. I think there is a little candy elf that fills them from time to time. This week, there were little individually wrapped chocolates. During one day the number went down from several to one. I confess I had one of them.
But then the one remaining candy languished. Would no one choose to be the eater of the last candy? Apparently not. Maybe this has happened to you. There is one more cookie or candy left. Do you eat it? Or, do you leave it? What does it say about your personality if you want it but leave it? What does it say about you if you are the one who will eat the last piece?
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
EAT IT!:) but then replace it of course…
chuckle
What does this question say about you?
That I wanted the candy but left it. IF I had been the candy elf, I would have eaten it.
OK, I confess, I’d take the last piece, assuming that I hadn’t already taken the second-to-last and third-to-last and fourth-to-last piece. (That would be piggy.) I’ve never really understood why the last piece is any more sacred than the “nth to last.” (For the record, with a no-host candy bin like this one, I’d also make sure that I act as the candy elf on occasion, whether I take the first piece in the bin, the last piece, or one of the many in between.)
There seems to be a different rule when it comes to meals, though. At our table, it’s expected that if you want the last serving of something, you’ll offer it to others before you snag it for yourself. If anyone else indicates an interest in it, you have the option of giving them all of it or splitting it with them. Maybe the difference between the last serving of food on the table and the last piece of candy in the bin in the back room is that you have a natural opportunity to offer others the last serving of food, but not the last piece of candy. I’m guessing that if everyone else in the office left a note in the bin saying that they didn’t want the last piece, the last person to arrive wouldn’t have a problem taking it. Personally, I wouldn’t have a problem taking it because it seems silly to waste a perfectly good piece of chocolate just because it wasn’t practical to ask everyone if they wanted it!
Anne, maybe if I had been the candy elf a bit more I wouldn’t have hesitated in eating the last piece. Note to self, buy more candy so I can have the last piece.
Okay – first of all – it depends on if anyone would see me take it. Then is would also depend on how many people work there so it wouldn’t be obvious who took it even if I wasn’t seen. Who wants to appear greedy, selfish and undisciplined?
Of course, all of this discussion means you do not have any teenagers frequenting your kitchen. They would have no hesitation to take it. I have become the manners police at youth meals and since we’ve been here now for five years, some of them are starting to get the point. I had a 17 year old tell me the other day that he hesitates to take the last of anything at a meal now to see if I’m around because he doesn’t want to make me mad (I don’t say he can’t have it, just have to ask around to see if anyone else wants it and divide accordingly). I told him I’m fine with that – in fact all I have to do now is convince him I’m omnipresent! 🙂
Who waits till the candy has one piece left ? usually the jar is refilled by then . I say just go out and buy a bag of candy and bless everyone with more plus it gives the person buying it an opportunity to get their favorite brand in ,hopefully their favorite isn’t black licorice…
In my family growing up, there would ALWAYS be one left of whatever was going. One cookie, one piece of candy, one donut etc. It became sort of a family joke. We were all too concerned that someone else NEEDED that last morsal. No one would eat it and it would go bad.
Okay, I confess. I would eat the last piece of candy. Without guilt. Someone has to eat it! And it probably won’t be refilled until it is empty.