'Dinner is served' – then the madness begins

IN DECADES of attending all kinds of events, from gatherings where simple finger snacks would be served to right royal banquets, it has never ceased to astonish me how some people will openly display gluttony.

- YOGIN DEVAN

The phrase “dinner is now served” is music to their ears and they will make a beeline for the buffet and return to the table with a mountain of food on the plate, mixing all kinds of curries, roasts, salads and pickles. That's in addition to the three massive scoops of rice, four folded rotis, two bread rolls and four pats of butter.

Most times they cannot finish all the food but will crane their necks to see if the dessert station has opened. It’s human nature to enjoy getting things for free, but it can be amusing - and sometimes frustrating - to see how people react in the moment.

If prawns are served, either grilled or curried, voracious eaters will ignore the other dishes and load their plates with the crustaceans. And as if that is not enough, they will unabashedly tuck into one or two of the plump shrimps, licking their fingers, on the way from the buffet to the dining table. I suppose the price of prawns as well as their status as a special occasion food, makes some people throw social graces and manners to the winds.

Greed for booze is also much in evidence when liquor is limitless and without charge. Free-loaders, who take advantage of others’ generosity, forego their favourite brand of budget-priced spirit, and will instantly graduate to 12-year-old single malt whisky — carrying double shots in two glasses from the bar to the table, only to wobblingly return for a refill 15 minutes later.

There's something about free food that taps into a deep, almost primal instinct. It's a mix of psychology, social dynamics, and even a bit of economics. The scarcity mindset kicks in even when food is abundant. Some people subconsciously think this might run out and rush to grab as much as they can. The moment the words “free food” hit the brain, rational thought sometimes takes a backseat to sheer excitement.