The Art of Non-Familiarity

And how eating like the French might actually be a psychology hack

I’ve always been fascinated by cultural differences around food. As someone in recovery from an Eating Disorder, I’ve gone to great lengths to try and answer many unsolvable puzzles about food, how we eat, and why some of us seem to be in a paralyzing relationship with food.

There are many theories as to why the French can eat pastries and drink wine with lunch to no (apparent) detriment to their health. Moderation! Genetics! Real food instead of processed junk!

My theory? Presence.

I took this theory to school. This month is the beginning of an ending for me: I’ve gone back to school to finally finish my Masters in psychology. This quarter I’m taking a course on Food and Addiction, and one of our assignments included an NPR episode with psychologist Paul Rozin on the psychology of how we eat.

His explanation for the French phenomenon? The event of eating.

For Americans, eating is a “health event”¹ . Food is fuel and eating is about the substance going in. For the French, eating is an experience. Food is one of many  pleasurable parts of the whole experience that is eating, not the main event.

This got me thinking about the power of our minds, and how it’s not always what we eat that matters: it’s how we eat.

Welcome to week three, season one of The Messy Middle.

This season is all about presence. For the next three months, we will embark on a journey together of embracing the present moment, slowing down, and finding focus.

Last week we saw what happens when we start to really become present. (spoiler: it hurts before it helps.) This week we’re starting to reap the benefits, as presence starts to feel familiar and habitual instead of a chore.

What’s messin’ around in today’s newsletter:

1. The art of non-familiarity: Choosing new experiences instead of known ones, and how we can train the brain to feel comfortable with the unknown.

2. Today’s Tip: I’ll offer a practical tool that you can start to apply this week to help you train your brain to feel comfortable with unfamiliarity.

3. Rach’s Reccs: A few resources for you to explore in your own time this week or for the duration of the season to supplement your learning and growth.

4. Journaling Prompt: Some questions to stir self-awareness around how you approach familiar vs. unfamiliar experiences.

   

The Art of Non-Familiarity

In another part of the NPR episode, Rozin talks about how we eat, and describes two types of people:

A People: Those who order the same dish, eat the same breakfast daily, and choose familiarity over novelty.