If I asked about your favorite candy, what would you say?
Snickers? Twix? Maybe Sour Patch Kids or Starburst?
I bet you wouldn’t say M&M’s.
I wouldn’t either. Booooring!
But a funny thing happened the other day.
I took a cheap flight that didn’t have snacks so I brought my own, one of which was trail mix. It was the run-of-the-mill variety; peanuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, and of course, some M&M’s.
I found myself rationing the M&M’s so that I had a mix of the other stuff and then a little chocolate treat. Suddenly the lowly M&M’s had become the belles of the ball.
Context matters.
We like to think we make rational choices and possess objective opinions, but every decision is layered with context and emotion.
How else could the candy I would never pay for at the grocery store become my favorite part of snack time?
We view every choice–our own or those of others–based on our own perspective. Recognizing context reminds us that those choices aren’t only right or wrong.
To being better without hating M&M’s,
Elizabeth
P.S. Interested in a deep-dive on candy popularity? Here you go.