Fighting against the familiar
We watch familiar shows to experience the same comfort of a toasty blanket. It’s even good for you. Familiarity with old characters from a rewatch from a TV show can improve a sense of belonging and reduce loneliness, according to a professor of behavioural science in The Conversation. And we can’t stop ourselves either; even though The Office US finished in 2013, it was one of the most successful licensed shows on Netflix as well as the most re-watched. Some of us spent more time with Jim Halpert or Michael Scott than some of our family members, many times over. (Yikes).
But I think this pull towards the familiar is unhealthy. It’s a gentle tug as it drags us away from the new and unfamiliar towards the already-trodden ground of a previous love. Even with the litany of new options on Netflix or Prime, we gravitate towards the safe bets. But that tug robs us of something new, or something to gnash our teeth into. Even the fire of a poorly-made show enriches the soul more than seeing Ross get back with Rachel again in Friends.
So how can we fight the familiar? Some creatives use familiarity to their benefit. “This book is like Hunger Games and Fourth Wing rolled into one sexy package,” authors might add to their book blurbs. And don’t forget about the trundle of TV shows that aped the success of Game of Thrones, likely as the hook of their pitch to executives. (None have succeeded).
For me, it’s about making a concerted effort towards trying new things. That means I need to:
Try at least one new thing each day;
Remember that a new thing could be good or bad, but there is value in its failure. Every ranted to friends about something uniquely terrible?
It’s a leap, and it will always feel like a jump towards the unknown. And I don’t expect our fight against the familiar to end soon. There’s a reason why nine of the top ten grossing films were sequels in 2024. It also fights against our nature. We feel a powerful version of ambiguity aversion, where we would rather have complete certainty (of dullness) than the uncertainty of a consequence. A new Netflix show about a murder? No thanks, I would rather watch Captain America punch someone again.
But I say we must fight our aversion, push away the familiar, and see what is out there. That newness will inspire you, nearly always.
