Someone asked why British people hate having The Big Light on and these 24 answers were illuminating

The AskUK subreddit is a fascinating place, full of people – some British, some not – trying to make sense of this strange little bunch of islands and their even stranger inhabitants. Following on from a discussion about the cultural differences involved in choosing a door, user drtrivagabond asked ‘Why do British people love dim yellow lights in their homes?’ and followed it up with their own observations:

So there is that thread about doors of Asian homes. Someone there mentioned the lights and I find it match my experience. Every British people home I went into, they have these dim yellow lights that barely light up the room. We chatted about it once. They admitted they would need additional lights when they read books. Why do you do this?

And British people had a lot of thoughts on the almost criminal act of turning on The Big Light.

1.

‘Everyone knows The Big Light is a last resort, only to be used to find a thing you dropped. It’s like how prisons don’t have the search light on all the time.’
–Timely-Helicopter173

2.

‘The Big Light is used only to find the switch for The Little Light.’
–Resonant-1966

3.

‘It infuriates my American husband. The Big Light in our living room is just an ornament. Honestly, I think it’s because I associate low light with warmth and coziness: I’m sitting here curled on our sofa surrounded by an array of ridiculously dim lightbulbs in differently and strategically positioned decorative lamps and I swear it makes the room feel warmer – almost as though it’s mimicking firelight.’
–ComtesseDSpair

4.

‘I started seeing a guy and bought him a lamp the first week. I just couldn’t enjoy being in his lounge with just this beaming big light on.’
–AxeWieldingWoodElf

5.

‘Any use of the Big Light must be preceded by clearly stating: ‘I’m putting the Big Light on’ in order that others present may not be startled by sudden return to stark reality. No, Sansa, not that reality.’
–angry2alpaca

6.

‘It’s for catching house spiders and when you spill a drink.’
–godgoo

7.

‘That colour temperature is cosy, warm and comfortable. Who the fuck wants their sitting room to look like a mortuary?’
–WVA1999

8.

‘Pools of light. Go look in any decent hotel or restaurant. It looks different from a science lab or prison cell. The light is better.’
–etymoticears

9.

‘Anybody seen the weirdos who live with all the big lights constantly on in there home and no blinds/curtains? Don’t understand how that can be comfortable. I would just feel like I’m on display at a zoo.’
–call092

10.

‘They are for ambience not for landing planes.’
–spreadsheet_whore

11.

‘I am forced to spend my days under hard, cold, bright industrial lights so why would I want that in my personal time? I want warmth and comfort and to experience the security felt by my ancient cave-dwelling ancestors.’
–syphonuk

12.

‘British lighting makes no sense at all to me. I grew up with parents who loved sitting in the dark like some kind of weird cave creatures, with horrible dim little lamps. As soon as I moved out, I made sure to buy daylight bulbs. The whole point of lighting is to enable you to SEE. So I want lights that enable me to see things properly.

Also, this time of year is incredibly depressing and tiring because there’s so little daylight. It’s already dark when I leave work — I don’t want to come home and turn on horrible yellow lights that make me even more tired and depressed.’
–semicombobulated