Symmetry
For the life of me I can’t remember what I ate in breakfast yesterday but I clearly remember ‘Mitochondria is the powerhouse of cell’ without even trying. “Chandu ke chacha ne chandu ki chachi ko…” such a useless sentence, but I remember this better than most people’s names.
We humans love symmetry. We have always been mesmerized by it. In human faces, symmetry often defines what we consider beautiful. People spend millions in cosmetic suregeries to achieve perfect facial symmetry. Symmetry in monumnets leads to it being 7th wonder of the world — Taj Mahal
In screenwriting, the most impactful dialogues often have an inherent symmetry in their structure.
First, you forget your dreams. Then you forget your hopes. Then you forget who you are. — The Godfather
The symmetry in these words create an instant impact. The first poems that kids are taught have a lot of rhyming words so they can be easily remember it.
But why does symmetry appeal to us so much? Because they need less energy and process to remember. Symmetrical patterns create cognitive "shortcuts", once we process one half, we can quickly predict the other. It’s like data completion — instead of processing every detail, our brain can say, “this is like that”.
And things that are easier for our brain to process tend to feel more pleasing. So in your messaging, art & writing see if you bring the element of symmetry and make it memorable and mesmerizing at the same time.