The Chemistry behind Selection!

I was wondering if there is a theory behind the 'CHEMISTRY OF SELECTION'. No, not the 'natural selection' one. Monsieur Darwin did a pretty neat job of that.

On a more day-to-day basis, for example, why in a roomful of strangers, we choose a particular stranger to talk to. Is there a push button in the sub-conscious that triggers -- "this is the stranger I am most comfortable talking to" -- response? Or is it the force of negative elimination which helps us rule out the other possibilities until we zero in on The ONE?

In either case, my question is why do we make the choice that we make? If you have been reading so far, clearly, you are also intrigued by this mystery. If there exists a theory which explains the science of behavioural pattern/randomness, please enlighten me too.

From the previous statement stems another question -- hope you figured it out already. (Please say yes!) Is our behaviour random or does it have a pattern? That is, to say, if put in the same situation again, would we still make the same/similar choice or would it be an arbitrary selection?

Ditto goes for books, by the way. In a libray/bookstore full of books how we tend to choose the book that we do? (I mean when we pick up a copy instinctively)

I can't say surely about strangers but as far as books are concerned, the right ones have always gotten themselves picked up. (Yepp, it's not the other way round, I swear.)

Does this happen to you too? While walking down an aisle full of books, one of them (at times even more than one) screams -- 'Dudette! You ar not going to leave me here' or a more civilised 'Hey Lady! I got something to say and you will definitely be interested in hearing it'.

On a slightly different note, red apples and green spinach also scream out to me. (This I state at the risk of being labelled eccentric). OK, last stupid confession -- Once, I heard a stuffed toy call out to me. It clearly said, I am getting bugged in this toy store, take me home. The guy is now an honored member of our family.

Anyway, going back to books, yesterday while waiting for a few friends, I loitered into a lavish bookstore. Honestly, I had no intentions of picking up anything. It was more of a timepass gimmick.

However, as luck would have it, I ended up reading a copy of 'Who'll cry when you die' by motivational author Robin Sharma. It clicked. In fact, I silently hoped that my friends get a little more late so I could finish the book then and there. (No, it did not happen).

Here is a quote which stayed with me: "If you don't act on life, it will act on you".

A thought also stayed with me. In one of the chapters, the author asks his readers to make a list of people they would ideally have as neighbors(SELECTION AGAIN!!!)
Pretty, Damn, Cool -- PDC, i think. So, here is a list of people (I am including the alive ones only).

1. Stephen Hawking (to sit under the stars and listen to him recount the brief history of time, in typical grand pa fashion)
2. Paulo Coelho (to muse over philosophy while enjoying a steaming cuppa coffee)
3. Michael Schumacher (It would not hurt to get an occasional lift from one of the world's fastest/handsomest man -- in a Ferrari OMG!)
4. Lata Mangeshkar/Celine Dion/Enrique Iglesias (If music be food for love, play on)
5. Tom Cruise (Inspirational)
6. Priyanka Chopra (Aspirational)
7. Sachin Tendulkar (to remind that humility is a virtue of great men)
8. Steven Speilberg (might approve of one of my scripts :D)
9. Shiamak Dawar (so, I would learn to dance as if there is no tomorrow)
10.Sudha Murthy (In the end, it is all about doing something for our society)

A Whimsical but truly Inspiring exercise. Mr Robin Sharma, thanks for suggesting this idea -- I think just by listing my neighbours, I know what are the virtues I should live by.

PS: I need to get back to that bookstore and pick up a copy of this book for two reasons:
1. I need to finish it ..Lol
2.There is nothing called a free advice, the man who just enriched my life deserves his share of royalty.
Ciao