Gluttons for Novelty, But Averse to Conflict

With the world around them changing so quickly, people might be expected to cling to what’s familiar. Instead, Americans have an unabated appetite for novelty. In a poll by Barna Research Group, 77 percent of respondents said they’re accurately described by the phrase “like to try new experiences.” In the survey’s smorgasbord of brief descriptions, only “self-sufficient” had more takers (92 percent). While people were generally upbeat about their lives, there was a hint of loneliness in the fact that 50 percent of them are “trying to find a few good friends.”