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Why do folks enjoy repetitive activity/content so much?
(piefed.social)
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this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2026
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Comfort, predictability, familiarity, routine, not needing to think about it or make decisions, catharsis, not needing to pay attention and being able to zone out, actually enjoying the thing itself and not getting tired of it when repeated, fear of trying something new, fear of mistakes or choosing wrong...
Sometimes I like to try something new, go on an adventure, experience novel stimuli. Other times, I just want to exist, or I want to comfort of something familiar.
Do you never repeat something? Are there hobbies that you enjoy that require repetition to progress? I enjoy painting miniatures, and I like trying new techniques or finding new (types) of models to paint, but in order to improve my skill I need to do the same or similar things over and over. If you also have a hobby that you return to, there's part of your answer why people will do the same thing - they enjoy it. You don't have to enjoy what they enjoy, and I'm sure they don't enjoy everything you do.
No. I like trying new things.
I'm talking about people who are allergic to challenge, progression, any sort of change and often view it as threatening. Like for years they have done the same things with the same people, never ever changing the routine.
People have different personalities and preferences. You might as well ask why some people like to eat certain things while others hate it.
Because it is comfortable for them, it is familiar, it is safe. It definitely is sad when people don't try to experience new things, and it almost definitely gets them stuck in a rut. But that's what they want.
Not having (persistent) hobbies isn't much different than only ever doing the same thing. There is plenty "new" to experience by improving a skill in something, just as much as trying something new at only the surface level.