Nature (or God) seems to operate with perverse checks and balances. In order for there to be a Halle Berry there has to be a Rosie O'Donnell. In order for there to be a place of stunning beauty (like Yosemite), there has to be a blighted desert that's not fit for man nor beast (parts of the Mohave Desert, for example http://360photo.net/rainbowbasin/). In the desert where I live, avowed "desert rats" claim to enjoy the heat. http://www.phantomranch.net/images/bwest/oliver_h_postcard1-front_med.jpg Desert rats tend to be refugees from parts of the country that are ice-bound in winter, such as Ohio. They so detest a frigid climate that they become heat enthusiasts. I'm not sure what the psychological term is for someone who develops a strong attachment to something in reaction to a profound dislike for an opposite condition. In my observation, what desert rats really like is the absence of ice, not the heat. No one spends any more time outside than they have to. You're outdoors only long enough to hurry from the car to the office or mall. People get cranky in a hurry. They will fight over choice parking spaces to avoid spending extra seconds walking across the scorching pavement. Emerging from the air-conditioned bubble, the heat hits you like a body blow. The blazing sun bakes the top of your head. You get to your car as fast as possible. The car door and seat belts are too hot to touch. With the air conditioning going full blast, it takes several minutes for the car to reach a comfortable temperature. Meanwhile, your gas mileage is cut in half. The punishing climate reduces the life expectancy of any vehicle. Power bills are staggering. In a hot climate, outdoor activities are severely curtailed. By 10 o'clock or midnight, the temperature may dip as low 80 or 90, which may allow a stroll outside if you want to chance a run-in with evildoers who lurk after dark. If you enjoy a comfortable temperature, fresh air, and the blessings of nature these hindrances tend to be a drag on the psyche. The desolate landscape and the absence of beauty can induce malaise after 100 consecutive days of triple-digit heat. The summertime blues may not have a cure, but the abundant desert sunshine staves off seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a winter funk that plagues inhabitants of sun-starved regions. http://familydoctor.org/x1913.xml The blazing badlands are home to goings-on that some people might consider psychologically bent. Examples include hermits, Burning Man, Area 51, and some weird vestiges of Manson Family dysfunction. Burning Man http://www.burningman.com/ Area 51 http://www.rotten.com/library/conspiracy/area-51/ Hermits http://www.hermitary.com/solitude/desert.html Manson "The cosmic vacuum of the desert was a perfect place to program young minds." http://www.mindcontrolforums.com/news/adam-gorightly1.htm http://mason.gmu.edu/~drwillia/manson.html A memorable depiction of the desert state of mind is included in Joan Didion's classic Slouching Toward Bethlehem ("Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream"). http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0374521727/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-3211760-9047369