Words are my love
Neophilia
We talked about emophilia—the tendency to fall in love easily and quickly. (see previously posted favorite words) A very similar sounding word is neophilia, or, novelty seeking, and I, myself, think you could say that the two words are somewhat related. I’m sure you remember many of your firsts—your first time flying for example, or speaking in front of a group. Or your first time trying an exotic new dish, like Steak Tartare, or Bird’s Nest Soup. Or your first time tasting chocolate, to be more universal, but I think most of us probably don’t remember that first. I remember the first and last time I tried Haggis, but it wasn’t out of a sense of neophilia, but because of being tricked into eating something I probably wouldn’t have if I’d known. Anyway, back to neophilia, a tendency to actually seek out new things—and I think falling in love easily and quickly could fit into that category. Or falling in love at all.
There is usually a thrill, is there not, with trying something new? Maybe it’s an excited thrill or anticipation, like I felt for my first book signing/reading. Maybe it’s that low hum of trepidation when you’re about to meet someone new or go to a job interview. Or maybe it’s more like terror when it’s something you know could end in your demise, or a few scars and broken bones, like sky-diving or bungee jumping. There certainly is a special feeling of some kind that we get when we try something new.
“And that”, says Jason Crosby, of Thriveworks, “is the magic of neophilia, otherwise known as novelty-seeking. Novelty-seeking isn’t just about chasing down thrills. It’s the subtle risk we all take when we try something new. Even simple things from actually talking to your next-door neighbor to trying out a new coffee shop, come with the risk of being something you might not enjoy.
“While taking a chance might not always be comfortable, novelty seeking, if done correctly, may come with more rewards than risks. And when it’s all said and done, you may be more of a neophiliac than you think.”
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