We Love Lamp: Why Turning On The Big Light Is Almost Always A Bad Idea

After a long day at work, you head home and settle down on the sofa to put your feet up. Before you know it, someone has come in and turned on the big light, burning your retina in the process. How dare they?

Ever thought you were the only person who knows that to achieve a relaxing environment, you need an army of lamps and soft lighting? You’re not. Because the overhead bulb is, obviously, reserved solely for finding the remote down the back of the sofa.

And it seems the internet agrees, after Mhairi McFarlane made her feelings known and described the big light as being “like a police interrogation room”.

The big light in your sitting room is there for when you need to find your purse to pay for the takeaway. It is not for purposes of leisure time. I once house shared with someone who always put the big light on & I considered it an act of violence
— Mhairi McFarlane (@MhairiMcF) December 19, 2018

Plenty of people were quick to share the only reason they turn the big light on.

I only use the big light to get out of the room when I turn the little lights off at the end of the night, or when I’m ironing!
— Jane Trixie Hughes (@TrixieJHughes) December 19, 2018

Ours is only for if you’ve lost something under the sofa and your phone torch isn’t up to the job.
— Amanda Yeardsley (@AmandaYeardsley) December 19, 2018

I’d also add: when you come in with a pile of shopping en route to the kitchen and you want to dispose of it as soon as humanly possible.
— Graeme Neill (@gnei11) December 19, 2018

Same... big light is only for emergencies, for example, The dog has spewed on the rug!

Hubs: the dog been sick on the rug
Me: FFS put the big light on
— MenopausalChubbster (@MChubbster) December 19, 2018

Also forms of acceptable big light : turning it on in a morning when I need the toddler to leave the house for nursery. Like a big search light to the face to make her leave.
— Daniel Brader (@Castrobrader) December 20, 2018

They also explained why they hate it so much.

It’s especially horrible if you have elderly skin,as you look as though you’ve died already. Unscented candles are my light of choice & taking my glasses off makes the years roll away too.
— Wendy Patrick (@pieorama2) December 19, 2018

People even shared the names they’ve given the big light in their home.

It’s called the ‘ugly’ light in our home. It should only be turned on for finding a needle, removing a splinter or checking for spiders
— mrscheese (@mrscheesie) December 20, 2018

My daid calls it "the main beam" and insists on it being on all hours of the day or night. Horrendous. Mum and I sit in their lovely dark kitchen
— hoskas (@hoskas) December 19, 2018

And some just shared stories about other people’s horrendous light situations.

We once went for dinner and drinks at a friends and it was big light the whole evening. We couldn’t believe it. I don’t think he owned lamps.
— Ben Cameron (@ben_cameron) December 19, 2018

When I walk past people’s houses and I see them ‘relaxing’ with the main light on I feel like ringing their doorbell saying “what on earth are you doing?”. My ex-husband was even worse. He’d ‘relax’ with the dimmer switch of the main light turned to dingy lightning. Awful!
— m (@mdecae) December 20, 2018

Definitely; sometimes I walk past people's houses and the beam of light coming through their living room window could easily guide ships into shore.
— Ben James (@BenGJames1) December 19, 2018

Spent 20 years trying to educate my husband on this. Gave up and got an electrician in to REMOVE ALL TRACE of the big light. 💪🏼
— Helen Rushbrook (@Kite311) December 19, 2018

The only solution? Buy yourself some lamps, people.

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