When the world seems to be falling apart, there’s nothing more relaxing than watching someone slice a cake with expert precision or make latte art that defies human imagination. A video by Luksan Wunder recently showed what the flip side looks like—and believe me, watching a tomato get squished by a dull knife is the visual equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.
Oddly satisfying photos and videos, on the other hand, take food porn to a new dimension. While there are many definitions of “oddly satisfying,” for the most part it means rare instances of perfection. How often are your vegetables sliced in mathematically perfect squares? Or maybe the better question is how often do you ice cupcakes without thoroughly botching at least a dozen of them?
There’s a reason we feel good when we watch things go right. It’s called mood management theory, and as Indiana University Media School assistant professor Jessica Gall Myrick explained to Refinery29, “It’s the idea that genres of media get implicitly associated with certain feelings.” Basically, you start to assign feelings to certain types of media the more you interact with them. And who doesn’t assign feelings of elation with images of a perfect world?
If you need a quick pick-me-up (which, let’s face it, we all do), look no further than these oddly satisfying food Instagrams.
