Why Subtraction Makes People Attractive

Hello. This is Takacchi.

The other day, my birthday celebration took place.

My family went out into town, and on the way home, we went to buy a cake.

My daughter and I were getting excited in front of the display case.

"This one is good, and this one is good too."

Even though I was the guest of honor, it was mostly my daughter who was doing the choosing.

And then came the time to pay.

The incident happened quietly.

It was supposed to be my birthday celebration, but

The clerk suddenly spoke up.

"That necklace is lovely."

Not to me.

To my wife, who was standing next to me.

"It suits you."

"That is very stylish."

The conversation kept expanding.

I stood there with my daughter, holding the cake box.

The guest of honor is right here, you know.

It is supposed to be my birthday celebration, you know.

But no one is looking at me.

All eyes were focused on the chunky necklace around my wife's neck.

In that moment, I realized.

Ah, this is the usual thing.

Why is my wife always being stopped?

To tell the truth, this isn't the first time.

For some reason, my wife is often spoken to.

And by strangers, at that.

On the street.

At the store.

The other day, she was even stopped by the principal of our daughter's elementary school.

Apparently, the first thing he said upon meeting her was, "That's a lovely outfit."

It seems the principal had been wanting to say that for a long time.

I wonder if he had been waiting for the right moment in the hallway during class observation.

Honestly, that level of persistence is impressive.

My wife keeps up with trends properly.

But she isn't just swept away by them.

She has a clear sense of self.

That's why she stands out quite a bit.

Yet, she doesn't have an unapproachable vibe.

Rather, they possess an aura that makes them easy to approach.

I think this is a talent.

I become invisible.

On the other hand, what about me?

Even though I am right next to them, no one sees me.

My presence is nearly transparent.

This is already a confirmed phenomenon.

When I stand next to my wife, I become invisible.

At home, I express my own opinions well enough.

I even think I say interesting things from time to time.

Yet, the moment I go outside and stand next to my wife, the outline of who I am fades away.

It is strange.

No, perhaps it is not strange at all.

Anyone becomes invisible when standing next to someone who stands out.

There is a concept like this in psychology.

When similar things are lined up, the one that is different stands out overwhelmingly in one's memory.

Conversely, if there is something exceptionally conspicuous next to you, everything else naturally fades into the background.

In other words, it is not that I am incompetent.

It is just that the brightness of the person standing next to me is too high.

...is how I comfort myself.

If I don't comfort myself, I can't keep going.

So, I'll eventually return to the topic of the title.

Having written this far, I remembered something.

This title is about "subtraction."

My wife often says:

"In fashion, it's more important to subtract than to add."

Once you decide on one main feature, you trim the rest.

I think, that makes sense.

I believe this applies to both clothing and life.

Subtraction is important.

...That's how I tried to wrap it up seriously.

But I want you to calmly try to recall my wife's outfit.

She is usually fully equipped with rings and necklaces.

And that necklace of hers.

To put it mildly, it makes quite a statement.

It has more presence than a cake.

There are days when she pairs a patterned shirt with a patterned bag.

Honestly, she doesn't really subtract much.

In fact, there are many days when she adds.

Even so, she gets complimented.

Even so, it stands out.

In short, this is the conclusion.

Subtraction is important.

However, it seems that doesn't really apply to my wife.

There is something there that goes beyond theory.

#WhatAreYouTalkingAbout

P.S. By the way, the cake I bought that day was for my own birthday celebration.

When I blew out the candles as the guest of honor, I suddenly thought.

I wonder if that shop assistant remembers my face.

...I don't think they do.

I think their memory is just of someone who was holding a cake box.

And that's fine.

On the day I'm the main character, I just want to be invisible.

The festival starts today.
I look forward to everyone's support.

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