It’s trickier than it sounds. It’s often conflated with ‘quality’ (which means consistent adherence to spec) and ‘luxury’ (which means it costs more than it needs to).
Here’s the thing: Swedish matches are better. They might be the best in the world. They do everything a match should do–but better. They light more quickly, burn hotter, and give more match satisfaction.
Except you probably don’t have a box in your house.
Because you don’t care that much about matches.
Because for you (and for billions of non-match-loving people around the world), this sort of better isn’t your sort of better. Your sort of better, when it comes to matches, might be: free and handy.
The lesson is simple: better is always in the eye of the beholder.
PS Coming back by popular demand is the Story Skills Workshop, led by bestselling author Bernadette Jiwa. We open for registration on March 3rd, and you can register for more information by visiting here.