As of late, I have been noticing how conversations go around among us humans typically. Rather than trying to convey an idea or a thought, people are only trying to emphasize their identity, i.e people are only selling themselves through their words. The unfortunate thing is that most people are not aware of ever behaving in such a manner, but it is true.
The best example of this occurrence would be when a person recommends a book/song/movie/etc to someone. This person has little interest in how his recommendation might affect the listener. All he really cares about is showing off how refined his tastes are. On the other hand, the listener might have little interest in the recommendation and might only bounce back with recommendations based on similar motives. What this has done is that apart from the world of careers and competition, we have become whores in our many dealings in daily life. Everyone is on an endless quest to make himself appear to be as 'cool' as possible. Case in point: notice how many people nowadays hate the music of the modern age and praise the music of Pink Floyd, and the other such bands which are accepted widely to be musical geniuses. What this has led to though is everyone professing their love for Pink Floyd while not knowing what there is to love in this band. I'd much rather people listen to the 'bad' music produced by Justin Bieber and the like if they are being true to themselves while doing it.
I have seen many people scorn at other peoples' unrefined tastes regarding cinema as well when a person says how awesome a movie The Expendables is, and the refined one says how Seven Samurai makes The Expendables seem like trash in comparison. This may be true. However, it is also required of you when you make such a statement to explain why you hold this opinion in the first place. Else, this leads to the other person trudging through a three hour movie during which he may struggle to stay awake, all the while convincing himself that he must watch this movie as it is truly a piece of Art. Other people told him so, after all.
You see what happens? Due to people simply throwing about opinions ignorantly simply to project themselves to be of novelty, a poor soul wasted three hours of his life on something he could have otherwise enjoyed if he had been informed of the movie in a way that didn't advertise the awesomeness of whoever suggested watching this movie in the first place.
I find it funny how people everywhere almost die of shock when they learn that a person hasn't read/watched/etc a piece of Art that proves one's refinement in tastes. What, you had to come across said piece of Art sometime in your life too, right? I mean, you weren't born having read/watched all the things you now deem to be great. The gaining of knowledge mostly depends on the things one is exposed to at any given time, and one shouldn't consider oneself superior simply because s/he has already read/watched a movie or book that someone else hasn't.
Now imagine a world where each of us only recommended songs/movies/books to other people only so that they may benefit from this in some way, and not to sell ourselves. I am not disregarding the importance of identity here, but I do not think one's identity should stem from promoting oneself via how many and what works of Art one has known. Instead, it would be perfectly fine if you are who you are because of said works of Art.
Do share your opinions and experiences with the world, but the next time you do so in public, or with friends, or on social networking sites, let it be for the sake of the Art if you truly love it, and not so that you may appear to be a person of royalty.
(By the way, everyone needs to watch the film, 'There will be Blood'. So what if it is kind of long and may be even boring to you? We're all supposed to accept its greatness now and live as perfect copies of each other in thought, opinion and action so that we are identified to be 'cool'. But isn't this very identity of ours lost when we are all exactly alike?)
The best example of this occurrence would be when a person recommends a book/song/movie/etc to someone. This person has little interest in how his recommendation might affect the listener. All he really cares about is showing off how refined his tastes are. On the other hand, the listener might have little interest in the recommendation and might only bounce back with recommendations based on similar motives. What this has done is that apart from the world of careers and competition, we have become whores in our many dealings in daily life. Everyone is on an endless quest to make himself appear to be as 'cool' as possible. Case in point: notice how many people nowadays hate the music of the modern age and praise the music of Pink Floyd, and the other such bands which are accepted widely to be musical geniuses. What this has led to though is everyone professing their love for Pink Floyd while not knowing what there is to love in this band. I'd much rather people listen to the 'bad' music produced by Justin Bieber and the like if they are being true to themselves while doing it.
I have seen many people scorn at other peoples' unrefined tastes regarding cinema as well when a person says how awesome a movie The Expendables is, and the refined one says how Seven Samurai makes The Expendables seem like trash in comparison. This may be true. However, it is also required of you when you make such a statement to explain why you hold this opinion in the first place. Else, this leads to the other person trudging through a three hour movie during which he may struggle to stay awake, all the while convincing himself that he must watch this movie as it is truly a piece of Art. Other people told him so, after all.
You see what happens? Due to people simply throwing about opinions ignorantly simply to project themselves to be of novelty, a poor soul wasted three hours of his life on something he could have otherwise enjoyed if he had been informed of the movie in a way that didn't advertise the awesomeness of whoever suggested watching this movie in the first place.
I find it funny how people everywhere almost die of shock when they learn that a person hasn't read/watched/etc a piece of Art that proves one's refinement in tastes. What, you had to come across said piece of Art sometime in your life too, right? I mean, you weren't born having read/watched all the things you now deem to be great. The gaining of knowledge mostly depends on the things one is exposed to at any given time, and one shouldn't consider oneself superior simply because s/he has already read/watched a movie or book that someone else hasn't.
Now imagine a world where each of us only recommended songs/movies/books to other people only so that they may benefit from this in some way, and not to sell ourselves. I am not disregarding the importance of identity here, but I do not think one's identity should stem from promoting oneself via how many and what works of Art one has known. Instead, it would be perfectly fine if you are who you are because of said works of Art.
Do share your opinions and experiences with the world, but the next time you do so in public, or with friends, or on social networking sites, let it be for the sake of the Art if you truly love it, and not so that you may appear to be a person of royalty.
(By the way, everyone needs to watch the film, 'There will be Blood'. So what if it is kind of long and may be even boring to you? We're all supposed to accept its greatness now and live as perfect copies of each other in thought, opinion and action so that we are identified to be 'cool'. But isn't this very identity of ours lost when we are all exactly alike?)
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