# Why Do We Like Different Things?



## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

I was looking at the cinema thread and I saw one or two trailers for things I hadn't heard of before. It has brought to my attention that even though we are all here because we share a love of classical music our tastes differ widely when it comes to other things such as cinema and literature.

Classical music is what "niche" these days? Uncommon to say the least but yet all of us very different people enjoy it. Why are we alike but so different, why are some of us more alike than others?

*Discus:*


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2012)

Have you seen those penny arcade machines where you put a coin in the slot at the top and watch it drop through a maze to the bottom where you hope it will fall on the sliding tray and push out the prize (of more coins)? Each coin takes a slightly different path through the maze, but ends up in the same place, though you may be pleased or disappointed by the outcome (more often the latter!)

We're all coins in a penny arcade machine! :tiphat:


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

MacLeod said:


> Have you seen those penny arcade machines where you put a coin in the slot at the top and watch it drop through a maze to the bottom where you hope it will fall on the sliding tray and push out the prize (of more coins)? Each coin takes a slightly different path through the maze, but ends up in the same place, though you may be pleased or disappointed by the outcome (more often the latter!)
> 
> We're all coins in a penny arcade machine! :tiphat:


Congratulations - you just won a script-writing place on the next disney film! :cheers:


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## Ramako (Apr 28, 2012)

Well, I like reading some prose; mainstream sort of films, generally fantasy oriented; a few video games; and Classical music. Music takes up most of my time now.

I suppose each of us sees something different in Classical music. This comes out quite often in various discussions. It really is such a broad swathe of music - and many of us have such different tastes within it so perhaps it isn't surprising that we are all such different people having such different interests outside of music.


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2012)

Ramako said:


> Congratulations - you just won a script-writing place on the next disney film! :cheers:


I'll do it, provided that's a Disney/Pixar production!


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Lenfer said:


> [...]
> Classical music is what "niche" these days? Uncommon to say the least but yet all of us very different people enjoy it. Why are we alike but so different, why are some of us more alike than others?
> 
> *Discus:*


An appreciation of classical music is a pretty minor trait. It isn't nearly as related to social/academic background as some folks here seem to assume. So, sharing that trait doesn't have much bearing on whether or not you and I are more alike than Paul Bunyan and I. [or Paul Bunyan and me, either]


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## Chrythes (Oct 13, 2011)

I'd say we are quite similar here, as it seems most of us have some kind of social-anxiety disorder, depression and introversion. :lol:

Listening to classical music does have something to do with social background (I am not talking about social classes) - some probably like it because they were exposed to it in their childhood, some like it because a friend might have showed it to them, and some enjoy it because of some unexplained urge to explore music. 

I agree with Ramako that everyone sees something different in CM. Also, the category Classical Music contains an enormous variety of music. It's somewhat similar to saying that I like Rock music, but what kind of rock exactly? You have Rock-n-Roll, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Math Rock and so on. And in each of those genres you also pick your favourite band.


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## Tero (Jun 2, 2012)

I barely watch movies.

There are some correlation on the theme of a discussion forum and real life. For example a Rational (anti religion) message board of mine consists of leftists on politics and then libertarians (who vote for republicans) and absolutely no regular republicans.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Lenfer said:


> *Discus:*


I'm more of a shot-put man myself.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Crudblud said:


> I'm more of a shot-put man myself.


The javelin throw is entertaining.


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Hilltroll72 said:


> The javelin throw is entertaining.


Those things are a lot heavier than they look. Not incredibly heavy, of course, but quite substantial.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Crudblud said:


> Those things are a lot heavier than they look. Not incredibly heavy, of course, but quite substantial.


Yeah, and they need to be. Before the Zulu went to stabbing spears, they used long, relatively light throwing spears - and threw them a long way. 'Twould be difficult to provide enough room on the field for them.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Amen, to being different! I'm not going to go fishing through threads but there was a good one a while back about things we all do and they were all so very different, it was great. I like listening to my man, Mendelssohn's string symphonies while I blast away at targets 200 yards away with a rifle. I enjoy the absolute 'silence' of the Everglades at night under a starry sky as well as travelling all over the world; anywhere and everywhere. 

It is a truly good thing to be different. :tiphat:


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

Hilltroll72 said:


> Yeah, and they need to be. Before the Zulu went to stabbing spears, they used long, relatively light throwing spears - and threw them a long way. 'Twould be difficult to provide enough room on the field for them.


I always thought it was a question of wind resistance, since in my experience lighter objects don't tend to hold their direction in the air so well.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

Everybody is unique.
Just like everybody else


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## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Hilltroll72 said:


> An appreciation of classical music is a pretty minor trait. It isn't nearly as related to social/academic background as some folks here seem to assume. So, sharing that trait doesn't have much bearing on whether or not you and I are more alike than Paul Bunyan and I. [or Paul Bunyan and me, either]


I think you may well be like Paul Bunyan,pilgrim!


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## LordBlackudder (Nov 13, 2010)

because a persons fate isn't determined by music.

it is their upbringing, job, class, relgeon, nationalty. at no point does music matter.

so one thing people can enjoy is classical music.

everyone likes disney from rich to poor. i reckon its the same for classical music.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I think it speaks to the universality of music. It transcends gender, class, nationality.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

MacLeod said:


> Have you seen those penny arcade machines where you put a coin in the slot at the top and watch it drop through a maze to the bottom where you hope it will fall on the sliding tray and push out the prize (of more coins)? Each coin takes a slightly different path through the maze, but ends up in the same place, though you may be pleased or disappointed by the outcome (more often the latter!)
> 
> We're all coins in a penny arcade machine! :tiphat:


I have never seen these machines in fact I have never been to a games arcade before.



Hilltroll72 said:


> An appreciation of classical music is a pretty minor trait. It isn't nearly as related to social/academic background as some folks here seem to assume. So, sharing that trait doesn't have much bearing on whether or not you and I are more alike than Paul Bunyan and I. [or Paul Bunyan and me, either]


I hoped to go beyond music with the thread. Mostly because I see so many things I don't know or at worst dislike and that got me thinking why do we like different things. Although I may dislike some things posted here I'm grateful for the posts themselves it broadens my horizons. It was not an attempt to trumpet one's background be it social/academic/economic.



Crudblud said:


> I'm more of a shot-put man myself.


I intentionally misspelled that to see if anyone was paying attention (honest ) have a cookie. :cheers:

Thank you all for the replies thus far.


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## Lenfer (Aug 15, 2011)

LordBlackudder said:


> because a persons fate isn't determined by music.
> 
> it is their upbringing, job, class, relgeon, nationalty. at no point does music matter.
> 
> ...


But some people don't enjoy it they like other types of music or maybe they don't like music (I've met a few).


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## Turangalîla (Jan 29, 2012)

For most people here their love of classical music takes up a relatively small portion of their lives; however, for us it seems like everything as it is the only thing connecting us.

Me, I do not watch movies and abhor video games (odd for a teenager). Practically the only thing I do on the computer is business emailing, TalkClassical, and theology research. I am obsessed with piano practice and homework.

The fact that I dedicate any time at all to TalkClassical, even when I have absolutely no time, is a testament to how great it really is.


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## presto (Jun 17, 2011)

Good job everyone is different and able to pursue our own interests, how dull if we were all the same and just followed popular culture like sheep. 
I’m glad I am different, not just for the sake of it but for a genuine love for what I have a deep interest in.


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2012)

presto said:


> I'm glad I am different


I'm different too, just like you!


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

This guy René Girard thinks that a spontaneous, subjective, individualistic desire does not exist, and that all we do when we desire or like something is copy someone else. So... we just mimic different individuals because we've been exposed to different individuals and their works. And we're not really that different in the end.

I don't know if I agree, but it's an intriguing perspective.


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