What we do ultimately reveals much about who we are, right? That's an obvious statement. A pianist plays the piano, a rocket scientist designs rockets, a teacher teaches, an entrepreneur starts businesses, an accountant crunches numbers, a mountain biker rides mountain bikes, and so on. You get the point. However, there are these "micro-habits" that also reveal much about who we are and our personality. These minute "slices" of who we are is called "thin-slicing."
Thin-slicing is a term used in psychology and philosophy to describe the ability to find patterns in events based only on "thin slices," or narrow windows, of experience. There are all kinds of these patterns that reveal who we are. When we ride, do we take risks all of the time or are we risk-adverse? Do we keep our bikes sparkling clean or is our chain always mucked up and our frame and suspension dirty? How well do we coordinate our riding kit? Color coordinated? Matching our helmet and frame? The answers to these questions reveal much.
The way you brew your coffee is also a thin-slice into your personality. Do you doubt? If you tell me how you brew your coffee I can begin telling you a little bit about who you are. No, this is not like the middle-aged magician dude at the carnival guessing random things. So tell me ... how do you brew your coffee?
First of all, I'm not as much concerned about which brew method that you use ... aeropress, drip, pourover, moka pot, and so on. I'm more interested in your process. Do you weigh your beans? Weigh your water? Is your water temp the same each time? Do you time your pourover? Or do you simply "eyeball" how much beans you use, how much water you use, etc? The way you answer those reveals a "thin-slice" of your personality. This is not meant to pigeon-hole you into a Myers-Briggs personality type, but what it does it reveal a little insight into how you're wired.
For example, I'm a measure-at-all-times guy. My wife on the other hands simply eyeballs her coffee and water. This is a good snapshot into our personalities. She is also an amazing scratch baker who creates amazing pastries from her mind and creativity. I couldn't remotely do that. I'd be handcuffed to a recipe. But as funny as it sounds, how we brew our coffee each morning reveals an insight into who we are. Are you ready to give this a try?
So now the question before you is ... how do you brew your coffee?
Words by Sean Benesh, Loam Coffee Founder and Brand Manager. Photos by Grant Benesh.