Psychology Says, “To Know Is Literally to Love”
Familiarity is an inevitability.
Think of something that you really like, love even.
Maybe it’s camping, coffee, or that hit song on the radio.
Did you always love it?
The answer is likely no. In fact, some of the most beloved aspects of your life could be things that you absolutely hated at first.
Take that hit song on the radio. The first few times you listen to it, your reaction could be very “meh”. But over time, it grows on you.
Why is this?
The answer is a psychological phenomenon known as the mere-exposure effect. In short, the more familiar we become with something the more we like it.
We like what we know and fear what we don’t
As an evolutionary survival technique, our ancestors stuck to what they knew was safe. Knowing what fruit to eat or what cave to sleep in kept them safe from becoming sick or walking into the bellies of beasts.
Fast-forward to modern day and we continue these survival-based habits. We listen to the same songs on repeat, grow an affinity towards familiar foods, and like activities and people more over time.
