I always had a strangely persistent question.

I noticed many Jewish men with no hair still wearing their small caps perfectly in place. Every time I saw one, I felt anxious on its behalf. Wouldn’t it slip? What about sweat? What about wind?

Eventually, I asked several Jewish women I knew. They looked genuinely surprised. They had never thought about it either. Later, they came back with an answer: inside the cap, there is a thin anti-slip ring.

Nothing mystical. Just a quiet, practical design hidden where no one looks.

That moment made me realize something: good design often lives in invisible places.

It also reminded me of my own embarrassment. I once bought a beautiful hat with a black elastic strap attached. I always wore it under my chin, assuming it was for wind. It looked ridiculous, but I endured it.

Only later did I discover the truth: the elastic was meant to loop around a hair bun, not a neck. The design wasn’t bad. I was simply using it wrong.

That made me wonder: why do so many good designs never explain themselves? Are designers silent on purpose? Or are they waiting for us to discover another way of living? Maybe some designs are not meant to instruct, but to quietly reveal that the world can work differently.

And when you finally use them the right way, everything becomes effortless and you never return to the old, awkward version of yourself.



—— 🎐 XC Scribbles · 捌拾參 LXXXIII 🧢