Variation Venus

Do you trust your instincts?

It’s difficult to trust my instincts. My Netflix account shows that I like to add shows to my “Watch Later” list more often than actually watching anything. I end up watching more trailers on Netflix than I do full shows and movies. Why? Because Netflix thinks I prefer just one type of content. So, my time is spent browsing through shows and movies that look the same but have a different tone.

There have been times in the past where I would take a chance and watch something just by the way it looks only to be disappointed with the pacing. The content might be good, but I’m impatient with how long the story is taking to get to the plot/theme or how long it takes for me to connect with the protagonist.

I occasionally want to trust my instincts, but often I don’t, which is obvious in my “Watch Later” list. I get interested in a show based on its image or title. If something catches my eye, I click on it to read the summary or synopsis.

If the description actually describes what to expect and the genre, then I’ll watch the trailer. Most of the time, I decide right away to save a show or movie to my “Watch Later” list. Other times it’s a much longer process.

My decision-making process usually boils down to a few questions: Do I have time to watch this? If it’s a movie, how long is it? If it’s under 90 minutes, I’m more likely to watch it. When the trailer is between 90 and 130 minutes long, I start to question whether I was truly interested in it.

If not, it goes into the “Watch Later” list. I consider whether I have anything else to do or if I want it to serve as background noise. A three-hour movie is not something I will watch unless it really interests me.

For shows, the same criteria apply. Am I invested enough to spend my entire weekend watching this? Am I doing this as a personal challenge? I recently committed to watching Lost and the anime Black Clover. Which I did successfully, but it took me two months.

I have to think about how much of my afternoons I’m willing to spend on a show that has more than one season. I also consider whether the show is a classic. If it is, I keep it on my watchlist if it is less than 5 seasons.

If not, I’ll keep it as a dream that I will follow when I retire and don’t have to work as much. This applies to anime like One Piece, which has 20 seasons, and Naruto, which has 26 seasons.

For anyone who has read this far, you have already guessed: no, I do not fully trust my instincts. I trust a convoluted process that gives me time to procrastinate as much as I want.