“He won’t eat anything but cornflakes,” complained the mother of a boy I used to know. Breakfast, lunch, dinner — always a bowl of cornflakes and milk. Even at other people’s houses, he made no concessions. To his mother, his extreme diet was a source of worry and exasperation. To the rest of us, he was a fascinating case study. Where did it come from, this bizarre cornflake fixation? It just seemed to be part of his personality, something no one could do anything about.
Whether you’re a child or a parent, the question of “likes and dislikes” is one of the great mysteries. Human tastes are astonishingly diverse and can be mulishly stubborn. Even within the same family, likes can vary dramatically from person to person. Some prefer the components of a meal served separate and unsullied, with nothing touching; others can fully enjoy them only when the flavors ...
