Keep coming back for more?

Today was a day for rampages. Five episodes of Heroes and 2 purchases of M&Ms later, I'm wondering why I spend my life watching things I've already seen, eating food I already know the taste of, and going through the same conversation topics with my friends. Isn't life supposed to be comprised of totally new experiences? Why don't we get bored with the same stuff? It doesn't feel natural to keep desiring a taste I've memorized, especially when it's not like chocolate is of any nutritional value (long way of saying it makes you fat, why keep eating it?).

The episodes of Heroes don't change as time passes, and my roommate often asks why I don't just move on to a new show. But the plot is really the least interesting part of what makes a show. It's the character quirks that you can pick up on the second time around that strike me--or the humor in a line that I didn't get before. Maybe there are even some references to classic texts that my naive high school self let go over my head. It can be like an inside joke to chuckle at those moments, rather than purely focusing on who's saying what, and why that guy can only fly on Saturdays. And maybe this sounds a little sad, but re-visiting the characters can be a bit like hanging out with a group of people you know and love. Why do you think F.R.I.E.N.D.S. was so widely popular? The plotlines weren't particularly original, nor was the dialogue always witty, but the dynamic, the feel that you were hanging around Rachel and Joey, made it easy to get immersed in.

I don't keep coming back for more because I have a sucky memory and want to re-discover the taste of chocolate, or what happens in a show (although I do have a sucky memory). It's because I'm familiar with these tastes/shows, and am comforted by their lack of change that I hold onto them. And as long as that doesn't hinder my ability to try new things, I'm fine with the occasional comfort food.

Namaste.