What Do You “Like”
So often we are told that we “like” something. We like a sports team, a girl, a type of food. But just because you “like” something doesn’t mean it’s an end-all-be-all.
We’re often told that we do or don’t like something, and depending on the stance we take, we’re suggested to change it. “Oh Nate, you don’t like tomatoes, why not?” It’s questions like these which drive me insane. You can like spicy food without wanting to eat something spicy every meal. You can dislike popcorn but people will question you to the end of the earth to change your mind.
Why it matters
When we’re constantly defending our beliefs, we can start to question whether we do or don’t believe it ourselves. We’re also put into buckets of likes and dislikes, and the only way out is to either change your mind or discuss with others why you should be included in a different bucket.
In a world when we have to constantly defend ourselves and our likes and dislikes, it becomes tiresome, confusing, and depressing.
Take politics for a brief moment, we live in a time when if you’re a Democrat or like a Democrat, a Republican won’t listen or associate with you; vice versa. Since we’ve built a stereotype where if you’re on the other side, you’re wrong and you should like what I like.
Boiling it Down
When it’s all said and done, just because someone may like something that’s different from you, that’s ok! You don’t need to be the same or be right. So the next time you overhear someone listening to music you don’t like, your first question shouldn’t be “how can you like that terrible music?” Your question should be “what is it about that artist that you enjoy?”
Open it up for question and a discussion without pigeonholing either side into a predetermined decision.
