Stop buying things you don’t like

My mind has been in a loop ever since last week’s article that dove into the psychological state of shopping. The part that has been extra sticky is the suggestion that we only find out if we like something after we acquire it.

There is a Dr Seuss book I’m reading with my children a lot called Green Eggs and Ham. Sam-I-Am is repeatedly offering the other character green eggs and ham. They keep saying no, they don’t like it. Sam-I-Am persists, saying ‘try it, try it’ and of course at the end they do try the green eggs and ham and realise they like it.

We think we like and don’t like things, but until we try them do we ever really know?

In my late 30s, I think I know what I do and do not like. But when I think about it in relation to this, I actually can’t say that I've tried everything. That would be both insane and impossible. Instead, I’ve used whatever experiences I’ve had over time and applied them to my thinking on whether I like something or not.

But as we know, style and taste evolves.

I’ve been speaking to a friend this week (who reads this Substack - hi!) who was searching for a dress to wear to a particular event and couldn’t find something she liked. She ended up buying a dress in the same silhouette she already owns in a different colour. She knows she likes it because she’s tried it before.

But buying the same version of the things you already own doesn’t solve the original problem of figuring out if you like something new.

Also, buying things just to figure out if you like them seems like an exhausting and expensive exercise.

What I didn’t get a chance to cover in last week’s article is that there is something else that can happen

Which is why I want to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible to know before I buy it if I actually like it. And to me this feels like a skill that we all need to strengthen.