Competence Porn: Why We Love Watching Experts - The Appeal of Skill

    There’s a specific kind of dopamine hit that comes from watching someone who is exceptionally good at something solve a problem with elegant precision. Sherlock Holmes deducing a person’s entire backstory from their shoelaces. Tony Stark building a suit in a cave with a box of scraps. Elle Woods demolishing a witness with perfect legal maneuvering. Dr. House diagnosing the impossible case through sheer diagnostic brilliance. This is competence porn-and it’s one of the most satisfying character types in storytelling. ...

    January 9, 2025 · 9 min · Rafiul Alam