Everyone’s favorite radio station is the station that plays their favorite music.

Why does this matter?

People love what is familiar, and what is familiar is what we love.

But it’s not that simple.

People also love to be surprised. That’s why the movies with surprise endings are the ones we talk about. The final episodes of “Seinfeld” and “Newhart” are classics because of the surprise!

Perhaps a better way of saying it is that people are attracted to things that are familiar yet novel.

“The psychological terms are ‘geophilic’ (curious to discover new things) and ‘neophobic’ (resistant to anything that’s too new)… Our curiosity for the new yet familiar.”

Billy Oppenheimer

But familiar must come first. That’s why we’re seeing new versions of familiar favorites such as “Indiana Jones” and “Mission: Impossible.” But if the movie’s plot has no surprise and delight it won’t be worth talking about.