‘This was a new experience for everybody’: Man goes to McDonald’s. Then he says something that stops everyone in their tracks

From the outside, an average person's life can probably seem somewhat dull and banal. Most people wake up, go to work, complete their work, go home, and choose something to do with their free time. The average person rarely comes face to face with dramatic or spectacular events.

So in a wash of regular days, sometimes ordinary but unusual incidents can stick out like a sore thumb. Bryan (@thebnoth) described a situation where something relatively uneventful made him and a few other people stop and turn at a McDonald's. No one was born or died, an argument did not occur, and life went on, but the situation was so strange that it stuck out to him. As it turns out, there's a science as to why ordinary events can be awe-inspiring. 

As of this writing, Bryan's post has more than 268,000 views.

What made everyone stop in their tracks at McDonald's?

Bryan was having an average day when he noticed a man at McDonald's ordering something that caught his attention. The order in question? A large milk.;

Bryan said that in the drudgery of everyday life, it was something unexpected.

“ You get up, you drink coffee, you go to work. It's just over and over and over again. It's the same routine,” he said. “And then something will happen that snaps you out of it, right? It sort of snaps you out of the drudgery. And this was that moment for me.”

The content creator said that “three or four people” seemingly stopped what they were doing to pay attention to the man's order. Immediately after requesting the large milk, the man asked for a McChicken. Normal, right? But to many, it felt out of left field.

“ What am I doing with my life that I am stressed about money and jobs and all of the stuff I'm stressed about,” Bryan said. “And then this guy's opening his eyes in the morning and going, ‘I'm going to head down to McDonald's for a large milk and a McChicken because that's what I like,' right?”

“ It reminded me that we live in a fantastic world full of interesting people,” Bryan added.

@thebnoth Maybe life isn't so boring #mcdonalds #milk #chicken #life #large ♬ original sound – Bryan

The science behind awe

Despite Bryan's experience being ordinary, there was something about his encounter that wasn't boring. But why did that experience stick out to him? The short answer is that Bryan experienced a moment of awe.

Awe is “an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by overwhelming greatness,” according to Merriam-Webster. 

Dacher Keltner, who is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the director of the Greater Good Science Center, has tackled the idea of awe in his work. Keltner himself defined it as “the emotion we experience when we encounter vast mysteries that we don't understand.” Through his research, Keltner has concluded that most people can find both positive and negative awe in everyday spaces. 

Taking awe in one's everyday surroundings can have positive benefits.

Time Magazine writer Angela Haupt adds that “Just a few minutes [of awe] a day is linked to less stress, anxiety, and depression; lower inflammation; less loneliness; and more generosity and connection.” The reporter continues, “Awe shrinks you in a helpful way. The feeling is partly about thinking less about yourself and partly about feeling connected to something larger.”

How can a McChicken inspire awe?

In Bryan's case, he may have wondered why the man ordered a large milk with a McChicken. Alternatively, he might have thought about how happy that combination made the man. Regardless, commenters also thought the man's request warranted some level of curiosity.

“This world is very interesting; it just depends on whether you can discover the interesting parts. Try to maintain curiosity and observe every single day,” one viewer said after watching Bryan's video.

Another viewer said, “it only gets boring when you forget you have free will bro, I'm not even joking bro it happens to so many people myself included, get caught in the monotony of routine, before you know it ten [years] have gone by and you barely remember any of it because every day was the same, boredom is the killer of creativity but creativity is the killer of boredom.”

Buzz News reached out to Bryan via email for more information.