We, as humans, often stick to familiarity. But why is that? People tend to fall into familiar patterns because of the comfort they provide. I recently read an article titled Familiarity Breeds Enjoyment, which discusses how doing things in a familiar environment creates a sense of "knowing what to expect." We, or more likely most of us, are not always eager to face the unknown. For example, at a party, you're likely to stay near your friends because it feels comfortable and familiar.
The article also touches on trying new foods, drinks, and music. For me, my pattern has always been food. Since kindergarten, I've always loved Mac and Cheese. Every time I see it on a menu, I can't resist ordering it. I also tend to ask for a Shirley Temple when I'm out, even though I know it's something I've ordered countless times. I realize now that I do this because I'm playing it safe. I fear that I might dislike something unfamiliar, or I might find the name of a new dish off-putting.
Fear often holds us back from trying new things, and I think many people feel the same way. The root cause is highly likely the unknown outcome, or the fear of feeling like we either will mess up, say the wrong thing, fail, maybe all of them. So, how does one step outside of their familiar circles?
Ok ok what I’m trying to say is that, even though we often hunker within our comfort zones, it's worth trying something new. Go try that weird menu item you can't pronounce or talk to that person at a party. People hold themselves back due to discomfort and fear, but stepping out of that familiar space can lead to unexpected surprises and personal growth.
I find it so intriguing how we as humans dislike change so much sometimes, which is most likely why we tend to stick to the "rituals" that our parents started as a child. Something that I learned recently is that the oldest part of our brain is actual scare of change which causes us to stick with the familiar and safe options, so sometimes we have to go against our brain which is difficult and definitely something noteworthy.
ReplyDeleteI loved this blog post! I recently learned about this topic aswell about natural instinctual human behavior and always going towards familiarity and "playing it safe". I often find myself always picking the food item that I always order because I have that same fear of being disappointed. It's hard to break from these instincts and pushing ourselves to do the hard or uncomfortable things. I've seen some videos of people doing "rejection therapy" as a way to teach their brain to get comfortable with this "unknown" result that we humans often fear.
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