Unlimted vs. limited

We are a creature in love with the notion of unlimitedness. I've always wondered what 'unlimited' or 'infinite' really means and what implications it has for our behavior. Recently, I learned that we can only enjoy 40 hours of Pandora for free per month and after that we'll be paying for it. Suddenly I felt restricted and limited and I stopped listening to Pandora in an effort to save my hours. Later when I collected my rationality, I realize that I never reach 40 hours' quota in a month, so what am I worried about?

Even though we can never consume so much we just don't like the idea of being limited. Another example is the wireless plan I have with my iphone which says I can make unlimited phone calls to anyone during the 9PM to 6AM period. Awesome! But when I checked my balance I found that the so-called unlimited is limited, with 5000 minutes per month. Um.... Even though I know I'll never be able to use up the 5000 minutes in a month but still I feel not so happy.

This applies to other things that may not be quantifiable, such as options. We just love the idea of having infinite options and we get upset if we lose an option. If something is unlimited we love it and yet we probably don't consume that much. But if something is limited then we get nervous, we become more aware of our consumption, or perhaps we will want it more. That's probably why some products marked with limited edition sell better than the same ones that don't. Why are we obsessed with unlimitedness? When something irrelevant becomes limited, why does it affect our behavior? Are we greedy by nature or is it an innate sense of insecurity?