And the lists go on

WE live in an era of Top 10 lists. Practically every other article I read online these days is packaged as Top 10 (or other random number) list, illuminating me on topics such as the “Top 10 Things To Do When Stuck In A Dark Elevator”, “7 Signs You Are A Psychopath”, “Top 6 Most Stylish Popes”, “17 Untreatable Skin Diseases”, “37 Dog Wardrobe Malfunctions”, “19 Things You Should Never Say To Your Grandma”, “18 Things You Didn’t Know Will Explode In the Microwave”, “Top 10 Cannibals”, “36 Awesome Fridge Magnets”, “Top 7 Kim Kardashian Butt Selfies”, “11 Surprisingly Tasty Insects” and, of course, the “Top 10 List of Top 10 Lists”.

The end of the year always sees a tsunami of these top whatever-number lists, with “experts” looking back on the past orbit of the sun and weighing in on every subject under the sun.