Hoodrh

In the winter of the northern hemisphere, starting from the circle of friends, snowflakes fell in the northwest, northeast, and Inner Mongolia. Now the snow line and low temperatures are moving south towards the border. In this cold season, people are always particularly infatuated with warm things and miss the warmth they have experienced.

Since the beginning of winter, there has been a strong attachment to warm things. When passing by a shop with warm lights, one would want to go in and stay for a while. When seeing a heartwarming movie, one would feel a sense of happiness. Especially, one would miss friends who haven't been seen for a long time. I think you are the same, becoming more sensitive in winter. Is this a special case for one or two people, or is it a common occurrence?

Let's start from here and see what has happened in the process of human evolution in terms of physiology and psychology, so that we become so fascinated by warm things in winter. We will start with the influence of the living environment, then explore the effects of physiology and lifestyle, and finally understand how the culture formed during the long process of evolution affects people's perception of warmth. Let's embark on a journey together and get to know ourselves better in winter.

1. Environment - Survival Journey in the Cold#

In winter, the impact of low temperatures is comprehensive. Plants wither, and animals cannot find enough food. At the same time, the low temperature takes away the heat from the animals' bodies. In order to survive, our ancestors had to keep themselves warm. They had to do two things: eat food with calories and find warm environments.

1. Food is the biggest temptation#

On snowy days, most people can't resist walking into a bakery when passing by one, right? Children have a great passion for cakes and candies. The reason is that during the process of human evolution, those foods that provide high energy helped humans survive. The attachment to high-calorie foods is ingrained in our genes.

A cup of hot milk tea, hot coffee, or hot cocoa, held in your hands, taking a sip, wow, it feels so blissful. Winter is the season to indulge in food!

2. Warm places bring a sense of security#

People entering the door, with white snowflakes on their shoulders, are traces of the winter elves dancing.

In the north, houses are always warm in winter. There is always condensation on the windows, the fire in the stove is burning brightly, and the crackling sound of matches burning can be faintly heard. Sometimes sitting in the house reading, from morning till afternoon, occasional activities include drinking water, adding firewood, and going to the bathroom. Time retreats in such moments, without rushing.

We always have a stronger attachment to warm places in winter. Those warm places make us relax. The warmth conveyed by the ancient genes of humanity provides a sense of security. Ancestors would exclaim, "We can survive this harsh winter again!"

2. Physiology - The Choice of Seeking Benefits and Avoiding Harm#

Cold represents greater danger and survival difficulties. During the process of evolution, whenever winter comes, the body produces survival warning responses. We have to search for warmer places and higher-calorie foods with anxiety and negative feelings. Only by finding them can humans better survive the winter. At that moment of finding them, our bodies are rewarded, and the secretion of relevant hormones makes us feel calm and happy.

Our attachment to warm things and people in winter can be understood from a physiological perspective.

1. The secretion of attack-related hormones in the body decreases in low temperatures, making it easier for people to get along with each other and more conducive to gathering.

2. In winter, the daylight hours are shorter, and the body lacks vitamin D, making people prone to depression. At the same time, low temperatures can cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other emotions. Warm experiences can greatly alleviate these negative emotions. The feelings and experiences associated with warmth can activate the neural pathways in the brain related to reward and satisfaction. The dopamine system in the brain may be activated when experiencing warmth and comfort, resulting in pleasure and satisfaction. This explains why people are infatuated with things and people that bring warmth in winter.

3. The cold weather in winter can trigger physiological reactions in the body, such as blood vessel constriction and muscle contraction, to maintain body temperature. These physiological reactions make people more eager for warm environments and objects because they help maintain stable body temperature and provide comfort.

3. Lifestyle - Pursuing Better Experiences#

Before modern life, the vast majority of people lived in rural areas, and their way of life determined their lifestyle. Winter is not busy for farming, so farmers stay at home, and herders stay in winter pastures. The long winter days are like long holidays, staying in warm houses, eating warm food, and then meeting friends who couldn't meet during busy times. What a warm and happy life!

1. In winter, people cannot go out, so most of the time they stay at home. They may feel lonely, and occasional gatherings with friends become precious and warm, making people feel relaxed and comfortable. When people who haven't seen each other for a long time gather together, they take care of each other and ask about each other's well-being, making people feel the beauty of life and the happiness of living.

2. Winter can provide a unique sense of comfort and relaxation. People can avoid the cold weather and curl up in warm blankets, enjoying the warm indoor environment. The sense of seclusion brings peace of mind that belongs to oneself, without the need to expend energy to meet the needs of others. It is a moment of life that belongs entirely to oneself.

3. Warm environments, intimate relationships, and friendly communication can stimulate emotional connections and intimacy among people. In winter, people often pursue this emotional connection because it provides a sense of security, emotional satisfaction, and psychological support. This warm emotional connection has a positive impact on people's mental health and sense of happiness.

4. Culture - Shaping Emotional Experience#

In the process of human survival, various cultures have emerged out of exploration of the unknown, expectations for a more controllable living environment, commemorations of certain things, and attempts to establish order. Everything is for better survival.

In winter, we have a strong attachment to warm things and people, which comes from our bodily sensations and also from our emotional cognition. In the process of growing up, we have been influenced by various cultural elements and images of winter. Every winter, we will especially miss those warm images and re-experience the warmth we felt at that time.

1. Religion: In winter, people have more leisure time, and various religious activities are held during this time. People gather from distant places, give and feel warmth to each other during the activities, and also experience the spiritual stability and happiness conveyed by religious culture.

2. Winter provides plenty of time for activities such as markets, festivals, and gatherings. Since childhood, we have been taken by our family to participate in these lively events. Even if we don't have the opportunity to participate in these activities as adults, every winter will evoke warm experiences and emotions.

3. In the cold, people gather with family members, friends, and community members to share food, take care of each other, exchange gifts, and share joy. These social interactions and celebrations create a warm emotional atmosphere, making people more infatuated with people, things, and events in winter.

In the northern city where I am, as Zhang Chu sings in "Sister", "It's still not snowing this winter," but the temperature is already very low. Walking on the street requires bundling up and braving the wind. In winter, we have a stronger attachment to warm things and people, and we also miss those who have brought us warmth. In this article, we explore the possible reasons for being particularly infatuated with warm things in winter from the perspectives of evolution, living environment, physiological responses, lifestyle, and cultural influences. It may not be complete, but it is necessary and meaningful to explore ourselves from a more comprehensive perspective. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

The most wonderful thing in life is to meet wonderful people. Since winter, I have become particularly aware of the preciousness of friends and have met many people, including friends I haven't seen for months, brothers I haven't seen for half a year, and high school classmates I haven't seen for ten years. It is very fortunate to be able to meet all these warm people.

Of course, there is also you in the distance. I hope that in the near future, we can meet each other.

Reading List

 Books:
"The Genealogy of Creation" by Hideaki Shudo
"Robot Ethics" by Patrick Lin et al.
"Self-Observation"
"Black Mirror - China's 100 Years"
"Rain" by Huang Jinshu
"The King of Reggae" by Roger Steffens
"Twitter Machine" by Richard Seymour
"Rethinking Entrepreneurship" by Zhang Weiying
"Qian Yingyi Dialogue Record" by Qian Yingyi
"The Lost Blood Feeding in the Sea Breeze" by Aristotle
"Walking in the Blue Field" by Jigen
"The Poetics of Space" by Gaston Bachelard
"My Faults Are All the Faults of Adults" by Jimmy Liao
"Writing Master Crash Course" by Shunzo Takemura

Courses:
"AI for everyone" by Andrew Ng
"Cognitive Neuroscience" by Lan Hong
"Emotion and Decision Making" by Lan Hong
"Generative AI for everyone" by Andrew Ng

You can also find me in these places:
Mirror: Hoodrh
X: Hoodrh
Jike: Hoodrh
XLog: Hoodrh
SubStack: Hoodrh
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