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What you are saying is not that you like the art for it’s artistic value, because it has been established that you can look at it whether you own it or not. Wha

by Nemi 5y ago

What you are saying is not that you like the art for it’s artistic value, because it has been established that you can look at it whether you own it or not. What you enjoy is the “ego” part of saying you “own” the NFT in question, just like people that buy expensive paintings when they say they are not buying it for the money, but instead that they are an art lover. You are doing it because it strokes your ego. Let’s at least get past the part of the argument where we pretend that looking at the art is question the main driver. I am not even saying that the ego part is inherently wrong, just different than how you describe it. It is non-monetary at least, but I can see how describing it this way is not as altruistic sounding as “loving the art” is.

mthoms 5y ago
I agree with the general point (I think) you're making but I think there is some nuance here. It's not just ego, at least not for everybody. There is extra enjoyment to be had knowing that you came into ownership of something according to a set of agreed upon rules. That is to say "legitimate" ownership. Legitimate NFT's can make one feel part of a community so there is value in that. Perhaps most importantly, "legitimate" ownership generally implies that the artist(s) were compensated by you (somewhat) directly. That, in itself can enhance the enjoyment. There are more factors at play than merely ego. I'll give a personal, real-world example. I own ~$1000 item that I bought as part of fundraiser for someone struggling with medical bills. I was also friends with the creator and wanted to support their work. So, even though I paid much more than I would have paid had I just bought it directly, I get a great deal of extra satisfaction out of owning this item. I supported two different people whom I admire by purchasing it. That makes me happy. I'm not a huge fan of NFT's (as they exist currently) but I don't think it's correct that enjoying ownership of NFT art, or art in general, is solely ego-based.
- Nemi 5y ago
  You make a good point that altruistically helping the creator can also be a factor. Thanks for articulating this.

by Nemi 5y ago

mthoms 5y ago

I agree with the general point (I think) you're making but I think there is some nuance here. It's not just ego, at least not for everybody. There is extra enjoyment to be had knowing that you came into ownership of something according to a set of agreed upon rules. That is to say "legitimate" ownership. Legitimate NFT's can make one feel part of a community so there is value in that. Perhaps most importantly, "legitimate" ownership generally implies that the artist(s) were compensated by you (somewhat) directly. That, in itself can enhance the enjoyment. There are more factors at play than merely ego. I'll give a personal, real-world example. I own ~$1000 item that I bought as part of fundraiser for someone struggling with medical bills. I was also friends with the creator and wanted to support their work. So, even though I paid much more than I would have paid had I just bought it directly, I get a great deal of extra satisfaction out of owning this item. I supported two different people whom I admire by purchasing it. That makes me happy. I'm not a huge fan of NFT's (as they exist currently) but I don't think it's correct that enjoying ownership of NFT art, or art in general, is solely ego-based.

Nemi 5y ago
You make a good point that altruistically helping the creator can also be a factor. Thanks for articulating this.