50 oddly satisfying sights that draw you in

I don’t know if there is any scientific explanation for it, but there are images that our brains just find pleasing. Maybe they relax us or maybe they inspire us, but they have a profound effect on us.

For whatever reason, images that have a sense of flow—whether that be due to symmetry, patterns, or repetition—have a sensory impact on us.

Here are 50 such images that you may find oddly satisfying. If you don’t, don’t despair! Every brain is different and what satisfies one may not have much of an effect on someone else.

1. A cross-section

This is a painter’s stick. This cross-section gives you a glimpse of what he has done in the last year.

2. It looks huge!

Deceptive sizing aside, this is gorgeous. A layer of ice that perfectly separated from the leaf that formed it.

3. Artistic

I don’t eat clams so I would never try this. 2 perfect tiers of clams that appear to be graduated in size.

4. Don’t cry!

Okay, it’s not that kind of onion. But these chopped green onions form a perfect gradient.

5. Too bad I know what they really are

I’m not a fan of mushrooms. In fact, I despise them. It’s a crime that these look like some sweet, caramel covered candies.

6. That’s a lot of carrots

I think this ranks as one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. And I really want to see how they are stacked inside too.

7. Hmm

I think it’s a good thing you probably can’t detect the design when you’re on the ground. I don’t know what sport is played there, but I think this might be a bit distracting.

8. Tall stack

Forget the fact that this stack gets smaller and reminds me of a kid’s toy. Those are the most perfectly baked pancakes I have ever seen.

9. Drip, drip, drip

This is snow melting at a very precise rate. Am I the only one that thinks those drops look like little LED lights, not drops of water?

10. What an amazing shot

I’m not sure if those little creatures are the cause of the devastation to this leaf. If so, they certainly weren’t interested in the crust, just the juicy bits.

11. Psychedelic

Eat it up quick! If you stare at this dish of ratatouille for too long you’ll be hypnotized by it.

12. Impressive!

My grocery store just throws all the produce in bins and calls it done. This is a work of art.

13. Soft serve

It’s like a teeny, tiny DQ cone without the cone. What are the chances that you squeeze out a bit of moisturizer and this happens? I’d say pretty small.

14. I would leave it there

I bet you can’t guess what this is. I certainly couldn’t. It’s a rubber band that someone picked up on the bottom of their shoe. And it is so very cool.

15. The woodpile

That’s a lot of wood to keep the home fires burning. I’m wondering if the owner of this is a prepper who is waiting for the zombie apocalypse.

16. The perfect fit

That’s pretty cool. Especially if this wasn’t done deliberately. Then I would keep trying to have it happen again, and it likely never would.

17. Hmm

I think I’m more interested in the bicycle parked in the snowbank. Is it its intrepid rider who built that polygon?

18. Ever-changing patterns

Ripples and waves. Constant movement. And that upside-down question mark in white against the aqua. So beautiful.

19. Worth the same

This is a stack of brand-new singles beside a stack of old ones. I think there should be a stack of dollar coins there as well, don’t you? To round out—pun intended—the comparison.

20. Spooky

It’s too bad the whites of those shoes weren’t a little cleaner. I think this pic would be more powerful if the white blended as well as the black.

21. Centipedes

These fiber optic cables are so neatly arranged. They make me think of creatures with many legs, all in a row, marching along.

22. They look like toys!

These are real-life Dodge Challengers. They belong to a group that calls themselves the Peach State Challengers. But from a distance, they look like toy cars.

23. I’d want to preserve this

It’s like a tart cherry on one half and a maraschino on the other. I think I would want to apply some resin or something to this and keep it. It’s so unique.

24. Who does this?

I have one objective when shoveling snow. Move it off the driveway as quickly and efficiently as possible. Madness like this would never enter my mind. But it does look awesome!

25. Hmm, cheese

Wheel upon wheel of parmesan cheese aging. Now, all we need is the pasta and the sauce. Oh, and a glass of wine.

26. Which do you prefer?

Not that it matters, right? They’re all going to end up in the same place. But which dish works for you? All mixed up or separated?

27. No crusts!

When I was a kid I wouldn’t eat my crusts, and my mom cut them off. I can assure you she never did something like this, and I’m a bit jealous because this is very cool.

28. This is awesome

I can’t imagine how long it took to stock these shelves, but I am very impressed. Their placement is so precise, with even the corner bottles facing outwards.

29. Symmetry

I love how these nuts are arranged and aligned. This reminds me of a honeycomb.

30. Purple rain

And gold, and red, and yellow. The raindrops on the roof of this car are reflecting light into a beautiful gradient.

31. So tidy

That drawer isn’t going to stay that way for long. Unless this is the end of a shift and it’s getting locked up until the next shift.

32. Snug as a bug

They do look very cozy together. But all I can think about is do cats get a crick in the neck?

33. A tight fit

These fit so close it looks like the bag is shrink-wrapped. Which means they not only look cool, they will stay fresh longer.

34. Like white dandelions

But these are a different kind of blossoms. They aren’t weeds or flowers, even though that’s what they look like. These blossoms are made of ice.

35. OCD

I’ve never seen anything like this. Every year I just slap my sticker over the previous year’s. There is no attention to detail like there is here.

36. Expert packing

I think those are cartons in the back of that pickup, but I can’t be sure. Whatever they are, they are perfectly and precisely packed in there. It’s almost a work of art.

37. Spectacular

This is an amazing shot. Perfect composition, but that’s not what makes it so special. That frost is so beautiful and so delicate.

38. Magical

These water drops look like beads that have been precisely placed. But that’s just where they’ve landed and collected.

39. Like icing

The way this snow formed against the brick and is now peeling off is awesome. Just slowing curling in on itself as it melts and disappears.

40. Fractal pattern

This welding job is a work of art. I can’t help wondering if this came about by accident or by design. Either way, someone should be very proud of themselves.

41. I never realized

See what you can come up with when you’re bored at work? Who knew that if you staggered the way something is folded, you could show the design on front when stacked? I sure didn’t.

42. I don’t think I could do this

These shoes blend far too well with the escalator. This would freak me out and I would be so afraid of tripping when getting on or off.

43. Art in itself

This is the result of an ice cube tray that’s been used as a palette for years. The dried paint has broken away, leaving a whole new multi-colored tray.

44. What are the chances?

X number of tic tacs are tumbled into their containers. The chances of them every one of them ending up in a uniform pattern like this are quite small, I would think.

45. When you’re special

Imagine being so special a shadow won’t cast on you. It just skirts around you, leaving you free from any darkness.

46. OCD?

I have a pillbox that I put multiple vitamins in for each day. But I just toss them in there and they stay however they land. This does look cool, but once the pattern is broken, I think I would have a problem with it.

47. Sugar shock

That’s a lot of candy. And I think the only one I recognize is the LifeSavers. Although that Lego thing does look familiar. But it’s a very pretty layout.

48. Sing along

I love it when distinct shapes are created so randomly. When your toothpaste ends up on your brush looking like a musical note, will you hum or sing while you brush?

49. Holy guacamole

This is pretty cool. Clearly, that has not been diced by hand, but I love the way it looks.

50. Such a pretty daisy

In a moment, these are likely to be whisked up with a fork. But look at the pretty picture they make for now.

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