Good Taste

Ever since I moved to Lincoln, I’ve had the fortune of having friends/roommates who almost universally listened to (and have collections of) excellent music. My musical horizons were broadened far beyond what I could find in pre-broadband rural Nebraska, where I had been confined to generic chart-topping modern rock. However…today, when I listen to music of my choosing, I still usually listen to generic rock (albeit of a distinctly mellower variety than in high school). I have no problem with this, and neither should you.

One of my pet peeves is how people often assume if you aren’t actively and continuously demonstrating “good taste” in your choice of music, or movies, or any other interest, then you’re nothing more than a sheep who follows the herd of society’s taste as a whole. In my music example, it isn’t that I don’t enjoy listening to new and/or obscure stuff, it’s just that it isn’t a high enough priority for me to justify devoting resources to actively do so. Having an open mind about what your tastes could become someday does not imply that you need to take time to keep proving to the world that you, indeed, do make these taste decisions for yourself.

Another pet peeve along those lines is the nearly-reflexive “if any discernable group finds (item/activity) popular and likes it, then I can’t possibly like it” arguement. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Somebody may have a slightly lower opinion of you until they learn what your full range of hobbies and interests are? Oh, the horror! It’s OK to have some mainstream interests. The vast majority of people have interests that are decidedly mainstream, some that are offbeat, and some that are truly bizarre. Just remember, sometimes things are popular because they’re actually good.

I do realize that wasn’t a fully coherent argument, but it does touch on some thoughts I’ve been mulling over for quite some time.