I used to think dimmer switches were pointless. Consequently, I went through 20 years of life without ever using them.
But last year, my landlord called me up. She had just evicted some tenants and they didn’t bother to take their stuff with them. So now I could take my pick of it.
I ended up getting a fairly nice desk that I’m writing this on right now, two computer monitors (they convinced me that dual monitors are worth having), and a lamp.
The lamp is a tall one that’s meant to light up an entire room. When I brought it home, I noticed that it was one that had a dimmer switch built in rather than a simple on/off switch.
Within a week, that lamp converted me to the dimmer switch side. Nighttime becomes much more pleasant with the soft orange light of this lamp. Falling asleep is also a little easier when the harsh light of an on/off switch isn’t keeping you up.
It turns out that these lamps are also cheap. The one I got was free, but I could have acquired it more normally for about $20. Hardly a crippling expense, especially where I live.
Also, without fail, any girl who has ever visited my room has complimented me on it, which is a nice fringe benefit.