Think of your favorite song. Now, think of your favorite food or your favorite color. Where did that favorite of yours originate? Your parents? A friend? A celebrity?
Regardless of who it came from, it was inspired by a person who was not you.
This idea could be related or attributed to the Mere-Exposure Effect, which is essentially the psychological phenomenon where the more you are exposed to something, the more likely you are to have a preference for it.
Imagine you are stuck in a room with nothing else to do but to listen to Taylor Swift, eventually some of her songs will become somewhat bearable. Hey, don’t get me wrong, her music released in the 2000s was good, but when is she going to run out of ex-boyfriends to talk about? Anyway.
As shown in other theories, specifically the social learning theory, humans are designed and often learn through the observation of others. This explains why our favorites tend to be related to our nature and the place or people surrounding us.
We often adopt the interests of people we like out of pure fondness or admiration. As they say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
In our early childhood, our first favorites typically come from our parents, guardians and/or siblings. As we continue to age and enter adolescence, our peers and online influencers tend to sway our interests.
However, the exact opposite of this idea is another theory of how humans acquire favorites that are different from those around them to create a sense of identity. Ironically enough, your favorite being created with the intention of being different from another person’s favorite is still adopted through theirs.
Your favorite band, ice cream flavor and subject are most likely not your own. It is a uniquely curated collection of other people’s favorites that you just so happened to be exposed to.
Picture a you when your friend never introduced you to Drake, who would your favorite artist be then? Maybe even a song that you shared with someone else in third grade is now their favorite just because you had mentioned that you liked it once.
As you influence people in this manner, you now play a part in shaping their character.
