Everyday Imponderabilia: Shaping Behaviors and Interactions

What is Imponderabilia?

The imponderabilia of actual life

Imponderable. AI ART 2023 by MJ + R. Marinho.

Imponderables.

Things that cannot be precisely determined, measured, or evaluated: the imponderabilia in human life.

“What are the imponderabilia of everyday life?”

Bronisław Malinowski referred to them as “the imponderabilia of actual life.”

These are, as he described, “the little everyday occurrences, the typical ways people eat, talk, and work, which are repeated and observed consistently.”

Here are some examples of “imponderabilia” or the small, everyday incidents and characteristic behaviors in human life:

1. Greeting Customs: The way people greet each other can vary widely across cultures. For example, a handshake in some cultures, a kiss on both cheeks in others, or a bow in others.
2. Eating Habits: The specific ways people eat their meals, use utensils, or share food with others can be considered imponderabilia. For instance, using chopsticks in Asian countries, using a fork and knife in Western cultures, or eating with one’s hands in certain regions.
3. Workplace Etiquette: The unwritten rules and norms in a…