Question of the Day

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

The question of the day struck a nerve.

questionoftheday asks: What is something everyone is "supposed" to love or enjoy, but you just don't? (question submitted by author_by_night)



My answer:

I recognize that many, many people, people I consider friends and care about greatly, have strong interests in things and I respect their interests and can to varying degrees listen to and sympathise when they talk about them. I am in no way disparaging any of these things.

But.

The things I myself don't have any interest in are LEGION. They include: pets & animals; home decorating, repair, and buying/selling; restaurants; video games; most films; most television shows, including all of reality TV; cooking; fashion & clothes; sports; the outdoors; history; gardening; and most music.

I know, I know. :/

Comments

[smallhobbit]

Interesting - although the only thing I particularly like from that list (given that there are a few television shows I like which you probably don't) is history, which I do enjoy.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I like reading what you're up to, but a lot of the time, I get interested because it's you, not necessarily because of whatever it is.

[luthienberen]

*Hugs* I do think there is a lot we are meant to "love" so feel for you. Here it is odd not liking alcohol, disliking pubs (my colleagues still don't understand) and...well so on!

With you on sports (national & local) gardening, the outdoors, vast reams of music.

Hee, though I am a huge cat lover (which you probably have guessed), but I promise not to shove it under your nose! And history too.

But you are dead on your point: there are lots of things I am not interested in that my friends are, but I listen and sympathise when they discuss them because they are my friends :)

Just wish there was more understanding and less pressure for us all to "love" and enjoy certain things!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yeah, I should probably add alcohol, especially at my age, wine. People are crazy about wine. I used to drink when I was younger and working and there was a culture of it (happy hour, like your pub culture) but that's gone out of my life. And there are things I would like to love (if I had financial and physical and mental freedom) like traveling.

Yeah, cats are VERY big in fandom (and non-fandom). You have to put up with a large amount of cats or you'd have no friends at all. And I can sympathise, but I'll not be able to empathise. I have everything I can handle taking care of right now with the kids, I don't want one single thing (plant, pet, complicated machine) that adds to my burden.

Yeah, I stopped going to 'friending memes' because it gets sort of depressing, lists and lists and lists of hundreds of people with 100's of things they like and me not liking any of them.

[ancientreader]

Uh-oh! *contemplates pets & animals, restaurants, cooking, and history*

I'm so with you on the home repair (except my own!) & buying and selling, as well as most TV and all sports.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

But we're already friends so it doesn't matter. But if we met for the first time online and you were nothing but 'Alfie and Hank and Instant Pot and Stucky and WWI' then, you know, I'd probably just be smiling and nodding and not have much to say.

It's all fine as John Watson says.

[ancientreader]

:^)

I hope I don't bore you too much with the likely upcoming Instant Pot obsession!

[debriswoman]

Your point is well made. There can easily be assumptions made about likes and dislikes. And judgements made as a result. I can enjoy the passion someone has for a particular interest without a burning need or desire to get involved myself:-p

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Right. I mean there are so many hours in the day even if you were keen but sometimes you're not keen. And I'm not keen on a lot (somewhat because I'm tired with the kids and life and such). But I appreciate the hard work you put into your crafts and I like looking at them (and receiving them in the mail!) and I recognize the enjoyment that you get out of them. I can do all that without wanting to run out and get a loom myself and star whipping things out!

Fortunately, we only

[jesse_the_k]

...need to share one thing to make common cause.

and there will always be TEA.

(I share disinterest in nine of the things on your list!)

Re: Fortunately, we only

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes, I mean you have to have one common thing or else, you know, you can be friendly but I don't know that you'll be or continue to be that close. If you think about co-workers after you leave a job. If all you do is talk about old times, well, you probably won't be talking to them much any longer. Nothing harsh or acrimonious but, that's life.

TEA! Yes! There's always tea.

Aw. Well, it should come as no surprise I haven't been to a party in nearly a decade.

[scfrankles]

I always think that what I'm most interested in is just interesting people being interesting ^__^ The subject itself is relatively unimportant.

This sort of ties in with the recent trope listing meme. There are very few tropes I actively search for, and there are a lot I don't consider my sort of thing at all - but (barring a few definite squicks) there are always exceptions to every rule. In the end I just enjoy well-written, convincing stories.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Both are very mature outlooks.