> For me, being free to enjoy something for what it is, rather than what is not, makes life much more enjoyable. This is honestly the mature endpoint of any sn

> For me, being free to enjoy something for what it is, rather than what is not, makes life much more enjoyable. This is honestly the mature endpoint of any snob or obsessive's journey - relearning how to enjoy the bad and the ordinary. But I'd argue the chasing-the-dragon phase comes with the territory of diving really really deep into anything. By learning the deep intricacies of some area (be it food, coffee, music, musical instruments, headphones, chefs knives, fountain pens etc etc) you learn to appreciate the highs of the best, most nuanced things that area has to offer. But you also learn how to pick apart all the flaws and imperfections in things you otherwise may have enjoyed. It takes a long time but I'd say the journey of expertise goes from enjoying the bad or ordinary for what it is, to disliking it for what is, to enjoying it because despite all its flaws, what it is is still pretty good.