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I think you underestimate the role culture plays in preferences. I don't doubt you can "maximize the experience", but you can do that with lots of things, for a

I think you underestimate the role culture plays in preferences. I don't doubt you can "maximize the experience", but you can do that with lots of things, for a lot less money. I could obsess over the exact balance and handle shape of the mug I drink my morning coffee out of if I wanted, to give the maximum pleasurable feeling on my hand as I lift the cup to my lips.

biot 9y ago
I'm not a fan of "obligatory xkcd" references but this one is directly relevant and hits the nail on the head: https://www.xkcd.com/915/ https://www.xkcd.com/915/
- robbrown451 9y ago
  Awesome.
mannykannot 9y ago
I think you are underestimating the role preference plays in preferences. We get it that you like wine mostly for the buzz, but it so happens that when people like it mainly for other aspects, they are not always faking it, and neither are they always posturing. When my wife and I enjoy a glass of wine at home, no-one else knows.
- robbrown451 9y ago
  I think you are misunderstanding what I am getting at. It's like music... some genres of music are pretty unlikely that an individual would like except for the culture that surrounds them and promotes them. And yet, sure, those people that do like them, after being exposed to that culture, still probably listen to that music when no one is watching. I'm not suggesting that most people are consciously trying to impress people.
  - sanderjd 9y ago
    For what it's worth, this doesn't seem true to me for either wine or your analogy to music. People like different things.
autokad 9y ago
its not just about money, although more expensive things tend to actually be better. my favorite wine comes affordably in a box. there are better box wines than others, and not all wines are appropriate for specific settings. I can only get buzzed so often and only to a certain amount (I'm over 30), so when I choose to drink I try to get the most out of it. Since money is not a bottleneck in how often I can get buzzed, I think less about it in that context.

biot 9y ago

I'm not a fan of "obligatory xkcd" references but this one is directly relevant and hits the nail on the head: https://www.xkcd.com/915/ https://www.xkcd.com/915/

robbrown451 9y ago
Awesome.

mannykannot 9y ago

I think you are underestimating the role preference plays in preferences. We get it that you like wine mostly for the buzz, but it so happens that when people like it mainly for other aspects, they are not always faking it, and neither are they always posturing. When my wife and I enjoy a glass of wine at home, no-one else knows.

robbrown451 9y ago
I think you are misunderstanding what I am getting at. It's like music... some genres of music are pretty unlikely that an individual would like except for the culture that surrounds them and promotes them. And yet, sure, those people that do like them, after being exposed to that culture, still probably listen to that music when no one is watching. I'm not suggesting that most people are consciously trying to impress people.
- sanderjd 9y ago
  For what it's worth, this doesn't seem true to me for either wine or your analogy to music. People like different things.

autokad 9y ago

its not just about money, although more expensive things tend to actually be better. my favorite wine comes affordably in a box. there are better box wines than others, and not all wines are appropriate for specific settings. I can only get buzzed so often and only to a certain amount (I'm over 30), so when I choose to drink I try to get the most out of it. Since money is not a bottleneck in how often I can get buzzed, I think less about it in that context.