# Newness Aversion By [Poorbirds DAO](https://paragraph.com/@poorbirds-dao) · 2022-12-05 --- Humans don’t like new things. “But I do.” You in fact, do not. As human beings, we often resist “new.” This is because we have a natural aversion to risk and a love of familiarity. We are creatures of habit, and when something new is introduced, it can be difficult for us to adapt and embrace it. We experience “newness aversion.” One of the most common examples of this is in the workplace. When a new process or technology is introduced, it is often met with resistance even when the benefit is clear. This is because change can be uncomfortable and disruptive, and we tend to prefer the familiar. Even if the new process is more efficient or effective, it can take a long time for it to be fully adopted because people are hesitant to let go of the old ways. I’ve seen people continue to complain about the new process even when they admit it has made their life easier. Humans tend to resist new because it can be seen as a threat to our existing beliefs and ways of life. We like to think that we know the way things are and how they should be, and when something new comes along that challenges these beliefs, it can be difficult for us to accept it. skepticism is not without merit but that merit is often misplaced. We need to play with ideas before rejecting them. It is easier to follow the crowd than to carve a new path. Most people are content to do what has been done before, rather than taking the time and effort to come up with something new. It is less risky and less effortful to follow the established norms and rules. Business endeavors follow this trend. You can execute your way to a million dollar business copying other businesses. You don’t need to make anything new. There are bountiful arbitrage opportunities for a million dollars but you won’t copy your way to a billion dollar business. That does not mean the billion dollar business is easier. It is much more difficult because founders need to overcome consumers' natural aversion to new things. This involves persuading consumers that the product or service is valuable and worth trying. Overcoming consumers' aversion to new things is a key challenge for founders when bringing concept to market or expanding the available market. Everyone from early adopters to laggards show newness aversion. Expanding into the majority of the market will be a challenge. This is highlighted in NFT markets which are advertised as “degen” and “early.” The participants should be open to new innovations. It’s a new field, with many low hanging fruits ripe for innovation. Yet still, when founders come out with new ideas they are often thwarted by holders who want socially proofed ideas. Even in a space that changes rapidly, it is the cultural norm that is comfortable for most participants. “Revolutionary” ideas are rarely revolutionary but are marketed well to get adoption. Participants want something that has become familiar through social proof. It is the marketing that gets novel ideas to familiarity. However, it is important to remember that this "newness aversion" is not always a bad thing. Each point in this essay has a counterpoint. In many cases, it is a natural and necessary part of the human experience. It helps us to avoid unnecessary risks and to maintain a sense of stability and security. But at the same time, it is important not to let this aversion hold us back from exploring new ideas and possibilities. There are so many opportunities in our modern day life that are lost to newness aversion. --- *Originally published on [Poorbirds DAO](https://paragraph.com/@poorbirds-dao/newness-aversion)*