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Take something you don’t like and try to like it

(dynomight.net)
270 points surprisetalk | 2 comments | 02 Sep 25 12:56 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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netbioserror ◴[02 Sep 25 13:57 UTC] No.45103188[source]▶
Actively trying to like something is already a sign that you don't like it intrinsically. Continuing to try strikes me as...some expression of over-socialization. It's okay to pursue things you actually like for your own sake.
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stdbrouw ◴[02 Sep 25 14:17 UTC] No.45103449[source]▶
If there is an ideal amount of some personality trait then for most people the advice would be "do more of this" even though for some others it'll have to be "do less of this" depending on where you're coming from. When I was young I definitely did a bit of over-socialization (everybody seems to like music festivals so I guess I must like them too if I don't want to be a weirdo?) but as you can see in the comments to this post, as we get older it's easy to get into a pattern where anything you're not familiar with is instantly met with suspicion or derision, and a lot of people don't like this about themselves, which is why this blogpost resonates with them.

Also, "liking something intrinsically", what does that even mean?

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1. netbioserror ◴[02 Sep 25 15:15 UTC] No.45104180[source]▶
You've never discovered something and felt the indescribable, joy-inducing draw of its appeal? Listened to some music and immediately jived with it? Blaming familiarity bias and "old man yells at clouds" is a disappointingly small-minded critique. It's the opposite: I've lived long enough to thoroughly experience the joy of newly discovering something that feels like it fits me perfectly; conversely, I've tried to appreciate other things enough times to know never to waste my time trying again. Especially for the sake of others.

I've learned that liking things behaves a lot like attraction. It has no reasoning or logic, it happens organically, and when you know, you know. Thus, I would never deign to pretend to like something I've found I don't.

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2. stdbrouw ◴[03 Sep 25 07:48 UTC] No.45113254[source]▶
... but the key thing is that I am not saying that you are an old man who yells at the clouds, rather that a lot of people worry about themselves that they might be getting unduly close-minded and that this is what the blog post is trying to address.

Your mileage seems to vary, but I find that for food and drinks in particular it's the acquired tastes you get the most enjoyment from in the end -- I haven't met many people who enjoyed their first glass of peated whisky, for example. Heck, even my best friends are definitely an "acquired taste", as is obvious to me when I introduce them to other people I know.