Riya, Week #3 - The Beauty of Repetition

Repetition is widely considered dull and pointless. And I get that, as doing the same thing again and again can be tedious, especially given that you already know what is about to happen, which can often sound like a broken clock’s incessant ticking. I, however, for one, absolutely love repetition in my daily life!

I find it oddly comforting to do the same things over and over again. I choose to eat the same food every time I go to a restaurant. I replay songs when I already know every lyric word for word. I read the same books when I’ve already read them 20 times and can blindly recite lines straight from the text. I repeat the same inside jokes with my friends constantly.


But that doesn’t mean I don’t love trying new things; I do! Sometimes, I just prefer to stick with the things I already know I love. I’ve been this way since I was a little girl. I can still remember reading my favorite series at the time, The Land of Stories, again and again, seemingly never getting tired of it.



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Whenever I’m feeling stressed or upset, I know that I can always count on my favorite song or favorite show to lift my spirits. For instance, if I did badly on a test and am feeling low, I watch my favorite TV show, Modern Family, for the hundredth time in a row to relieve my stress. I think this is why I always find myself coming back to my favorites, because they bring me a comforting sense of familiarity, which is often just what I seek.


I am just a person who is exceedingly loyal to the things I enjoy. It can be difficult for me to find something I truly love, so when I do, whether it be a book series, a TV show, or food, I tend to hold on to it. I always find myself coming back to my favorites, and no, I somehow never seem to get bored with them.


I believe repetition is not pointless and does not mean you are afraid of branching out and trying new things. I believe it is figuring out what makes you happy and loyally returning to it.

So, while some may view repetition as tedious and trite, I rather view it as a way to cherish what makes me happy. What can I say, I am certainly a dedicated devotee to what I like!


Comments

  1. Maxwell WangSeptember 29, 2026 at 9:02 PM

    Hey, I haven't heard The Land of Stories for a long, long time! I enjoyed that series. The author is very talented. I don't think there is a novel that I could revisit time and time again, but I can definitely pick up Truman Capote's "A Christmas Story" every fall, just like a seasonal drink at some restaurant chain, and read it over once more.

    When I'm listening to music as I do my work, sometimes I debate between whether I should put on my playlist of favorite songs I've heard many times, or if I should put on the radio station to get a larger mix of songs (still that I've all heard of before, since it's a 2010's compilation). On days I need to ground myself in past memories, I'll listen to my playlist that I made years before because it's more familiar. But when I'm feeling good, or bored with my regular playlist, I'll turn on the radio station!

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  2. Pavan Sai SunkesulaSeptember 30, 2026 at 7:49 PM

    I also like having repetition in my life. A daily schedule helps keep me in check for the week so I don’t lose track of time. I agree that doing the same things every day is tedious, so I keep a similar routine whilst having some slight variation; I’ll work on a different subject when I get home from school or I’ll change up my location. One thing we have in common is listening to the same songs over and over! Usually, I’ll play a song on repeat every day until I essentially get sick of it. I do have a set of songs that I listen to when I’m feeling down, and their familiar tune tends to cheer me up, but I’ve also noticed that new songs with a nostalgic feel do the same trick! I haven’t watched Modern Family, but I’ve seen some clips online and understand the appeal. For me, The Big Bang Theory is my comfort show; I could watch it every day and still find it amusing. Personally, I think the things you do over and over are defining traits of your character; they could be used to tell someone what kind of person you are based on what you’re willing to do a second or even third time.

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  3. Kan XuSeptember 30, 2026 at 8:10 PM

    Routines are so important to me. So important that, once they get disrupted, my psyche gets disrupted for the better part of a month. I think that humans are drawn to things that they already know help them survive or get them dopamine; it is why we go back to the stories we love, why we would rather stay in the comfort of our beds for five more minutes than getting up and starting the day, diving into a full day of risks. While I do agree that repetition does not necessarily mean that one doesn’t want to try things, I do believe that the best way to form new passions is to stop the opposite of that from occurring. For example, if you want to try a new instrument, the best way to not get distracted is to make sure you cannot doomscroll. This way, the repetition already set into your subconscious mind is slowly removed until you master something new.

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