Design is Dangerous

Have you ever wondered how a chair can be dangerous to humans or society? I hadn’t. After listening to my Tae Kwon Do instructor give a mini presentation about how chairs are dangerous, it got me thinking. Many of us do not consider a chair being dangerous.  Besides short term effects like stubbing your toe on the corner or bumping your hip bone on the side of the chair, a simple chair can have a great impact long term effects including limiting your flexibility, discussed later. 

What is the function of a chair? They provide a place to sit. Imagine a couple thousand years ago when people used to hunt for food and gather wood for shelter and warmth. These people walk and are always on the move, doing countless activities not thought as exercising. They were always moving out of necessity. Instead of that, what do you see now? People are always on the computer and sitting in chairs; people in lecture classrooms are sitting in chairs; people playing video games are sitting in chairs. Most people sit in chairs for hours each day. This takes a toll on flexibility, and exercise ability, which can lead to pulled muscles; reaching for items on shelves, and twisting around heavy furniture. The chair is definitely a very convenient and well thought out product with great intentions. The idea of it being dangerous to society in the long run was not imagined. Because of the chair and sitting too much, we find our society in such poor condition and bad shape compared to earlier years of American society. Many of us are not exercising any more or staying active and flexible the way our society did back then. All because of a simple inanimate object like a chair.