Netizens argue about a lot of things on social media. It can range from politics, why sexual harassment is bad, why men are trash, and how we can save the environment. Many say this is the “easily-offended generation,” but we’d like to think such discussions are important because we learn how we can be better human beings.
What I didn’t expect were heated discussions about whether you watch Game of Thrones or like a certain dish, or not. It’s a back and forth of “You’re not special for not liking this thing,” and “You’re not cool for liking it either.”
It’s inane to see people being this pressed over those who dislike cult-favorite shows, movies, or dishes. But if people are allowed to like what they like, they should also be free to dislike something.
Tom Vanderbilt, author of You May Also Like, explained to The Atlantic that a person’s interests and tastes are shaped by culture, exposure, and their personality. “Taste is just a way of filtering the world, of ordering information,” he said. “We like to sort things into categories to help us filter information more efficiently about the world. The example I like that’s been used in talking about what’s called categorical perception is: If you look at a rainbow, we read it as bands of color rather than this spectrum that smoothly evolves from one color to the next. Many things are the same way.”
He added that these tastes “are subject to change” because humans are evolving in terms of personality and what we choose to surround ourselves with. You might like or dislike shows such as Game of Thrones now, but change your mind later on. This is especially true with food—Tom explained, “I went into this with certain food dislikes that I thought were really based more in biology, like fennel. But then I had a couple of fennel dishes prepared the right way, and now I like fennel. It’s still the same fennel; I am the person who has changed. There’s any number of things that I think we can go through that same experience with.”
That said, people may be uninterested in something because they’re used to consuming certain things already. It may not be easy to change their minds about something, but it doesn’t mean we should force them into liking things either.
Also, never label people who don’t like the same things you do. One recent example is people being called “sexist” for not liking Captain Marvel. There were “you’re racist” comebacks towards those who weren’t into Black Panther.
I’m not saying there aren’t misogynists or racists who dragged Captain Marvel and Black Panther, respectively, to the mud. There were a lot of them, and this is the behavior you shouldn’t be exhibiting when you dislike something. Don’t insult or laugh at people—just don’t be an A-hole, basically.
But, when you see someone making a constructive criticism—with no sexist or racist intentions whatsoever—on why they dislike something, they get a pass. We’re sure they don’t mean any harm in expressing why they don’t agree with you—or the thousands of people who have nothing but praise to say.
Of course, we’re only talking about movies, shows, and food here. It’s another topic entirely when someone says they hate feminism or align themselves with problematic figures.
Here’s a tip: You can always suggest someone to try something that you like. If they’re not into it, don’t be upset at them and don’t force them. You don’t want them to do the same, do you? We’re all different, that’s what makes discussions about mundane things fun and interesting. Who knows? The people who disagree with you might just come around soon.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
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