THE WHY
A fortnightly email where Dan answers your curly questions about peculiar human behaviours.
The Why #64: Why on earth would anyone pay for a brand’s ‘Mystery Box’?
I take it Marcus, that you’re not a gambling man.
The Why #63: Why are there so many self-help books and podcasts?
Whether you’ve been scouring the shelves for a new book or scrolling through podcast recommendation lists looking for a fix, it’s hard to escape the self-help avalanche.
The Why #62: Why does every home reno go over time and over budget?
In reality, we’re doomed before we even begin.
The Why #61: Why do I over pack every time I go on a holiday?
Just to end up wear the same damn linen shorts, day in and day out.
The Why #60: Why do we hate flying when it’s actually a modern miracle?
If our dear cave ancestors could see us now, they’d wonder how it all went so wrong!
The Why #59: Why do we sweat over rubbish like MAFS when there are bigger issues happening in the world?
I truly believe that that one guy with the bad tattoos and the woman with the weird smile are made for one another.
The Why #58: Why did you write a book?
A book? Me? I really wasn't going to bring it up, but since you've asked, let me explain.
The Why #57: Why does everyone keep saying that ChatGPT is the start of the AI apocolypse?
If there’s one thing we love, it’s an incoming apocalypse.If I was writing this email in 1436, it’d be all about the printing press.
The Why #56: Why do we wait ’til the last minute to buy Christmas presents?
And it's not even like we can complain about not getting enough notice.
The Why #55: Why do I pay for streaming services I never use?
I'll be the first to admit that since House of the Dragon wrapped up, I haven't been anywhere near the Binge logo for weeks.
The Why #54: Why do we follow terrible trends?
Not a moment after finally throwing out my last pair of baggy jeans, they seem to have miraculously appeared on every person under the age of 25…
The Why #53: Why do I always want something sweet after a healthy meal?
Nothing tops off a poached chicken and spinach salad quite like a small mountain of Messina's ice cream.
The Why #52: Why am I so bad at saving money?
Maybe the calculations in your budget are off. Perhaps a hacker is slowly, stealthily chipping away at your savings.
The Why #51: Why do we re-watch old movies?
Sure, Love Actually is kind of OK, but shouldn't we actually love seeing something new and different?
The Why #50: Why do bands always leave their best song ’til last?
The tension is high. The lights go dim. And then… ENCORE!
The Why #49: Why do I always go for the medium sized popcorn?
A little bit hungry? Medium will do the trick. Absolutely starving? Better grab the medium.
The Why #48: Why do we go on spending sprees with our tax returns?
The most wonderful time of the year. In a way it’s like Christmas. In July. For adults.
The Why #47: Why does this feel like the longest, coldest winter ever?
I'm sure you, like me, are sick of donning snow gear every time you leave home and you swear you haven't set foot in sunlight since 2012.
The Why #46: Why do my vacations never go to plan?
Cut to reality, and the wheels have come off before the SPF30 has even made it out of the suitcase. Positano didn't get the message, and the daybeds are all taken.
The Why #45: Why do we always eat the same thing for breakfast?
It’s not until you go to add ‘four avocados’ to your weekly shopping list that you realise you can’t remember the last time you ate anything different.