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95. Some types of sophistication won’t make you enjoy the object more, they’ll make you enjoy it less. For example, wine snobs don’t enjoy wine twice as much as

95. Some types of sophistication won’t make you enjoy the object more, they’ll make you enjoy it less. For example, wine snobs don’t enjoy wine twice as much as you, they’re more keenly aware of how most wine isn’t good enough. Avoid sophistication that diminishes your enjoyment. I agree with the conclusion of this one, though I think it oversimplifies the problem. Cultivating taste in something (be it food or drink, music, literature) is absolutely a valuable thing, and one of life's great pleasures. With it comes that awareness that some examples of the thing you have learned to appreciate are much better than others. The challenge is to not let your appreciation for the best dampen your enjoyment of the common. I may be no cicerone, but I've developed a relatively discerning palate for beer. What I've had to learn, though, is how to still enjoy a mass-market beer when that's all that's available. I've found that reframing, thinking "I'm not drinking this Miller Lite because it's great beer; I'm drinking it because I'm here with people I like spending time with" allows me to let go of the beer-snobbery for the totality of the experience. The best has its place, and so does the common.

AnHonestComment 6y ago
I think I’ve been on both sides of this — On one side, I just don’t like how some cheap beers taste... I’d rather have coffee or juice. On the other hand, I’ve tried a lot of wines with friends... and I think there’s a certain amount of “acquired bad taste” to be part of the club. My experience has been taste sort of tops out at mid-high, and after that it’s a lot of paying for the story or as a Veblen good/investment. Which is also true of beers.
baby 6y ago
I don’t know how I feel about that advice. I’d think a better one is: don’t get too snoby. It was shown that wine experts can’t tell between a very expensive wine and a good wine with a normal price. It’s all a matter of taste. Same for movies: sure that movie has been done a thousand times, but watch it like you were watching this genre for the first time.

AnHonestComment 6y ago

I think I’ve been on both sides of this — On one side, I just don’t like how some cheap beers taste... I’d rather have coffee or juice. On the other hand, I’ve tried a lot of wines with friends... and I think there’s a certain amount of “acquired bad taste” to be part of the club. My experience has been taste sort of tops out at mid-high, and after that it’s a lot of paying for the story or as a Veblen good/investment. Which is also true of beers.

baby 6y ago

I don’t know how I feel about that advice. I’d think a better one is: don’t get too snoby. It was shown that wine experts can’t tell between a very expensive wine and a good wine with a normal price. It’s all a matter of taste. Same for movies: sure that movie has been done a thousand times, but watch it like you were watching this genre for the first time.