Crap!

I was once taught a very valuable lesson in the first year of my BCS. My very good friend Sumit, finally told me something that everyone else probably wanted to tell me... all the time. I guess it was my one very annoying personality trait. It was this:

If I severly disliked something, I called it crap.... ok not crap, CRAP!

Though Sumit and others (Nikhil notably) thought that I proferred this title on everything I didn't like, my feelings were more precise. I reserved this post only for stuff that I severly disliked. Mostly in the realm of music (though I would also associate it with certain foods, and still do).

The lesson that Sumit taught me was that when I take something that someone else possibly likes and call it crap, I'm making that person feel hurt. I actually expounded upon this (almost immediately) and came up with:
When I take something that someone else likes and call it crap, I'm:
1. Causing hurt,
2. Causing anguish to the person because I've already guarded my opinion with rearguard action that renders it impeachable, while the person tries to find ways to get through (I am highly intelligent), and
3. Wasting my time, because I'm not changing any minds.

Okay let me explain this properly. I love rock. All forms of it, to various degrees (from passable pop rock to the guitar gods like Satriani, Vai, Hendrix, Slash and others). I admire complexity. For me, the term "its got a nice tune" is a term more suitable for ad-jingles than to something classified as music. I consequently viewed all other kinds of music (esp. pop, boy bands, girlie groups, rap, r&b, techno (esp techno) and trance etc.) as being substandard... attaining the title of "music" without really deserving it. With much disdain, I hated such stuff, and consequently called it crap.

And before the hulabaloo about complexity starts, let me make clear that I regarded (and still regard) blues, jazz, hindustani classical, western classical, vocals (when done by one person, well not opera... it hurts my ears) and some bands like Enigma as music as well. On the other hand I don't really like very heavy or death metal. That's just noise.

When Sumit explained this particular problem to me, it caused me a certain anguish. I pride myself in being a know-it-all. I generally don't lie. I am highly independent. I don't take crap! But this was different. I decided to go along with it. But it took me a very looooong time to actually start believing it. That maybe I'm singular in my taste, but my taste need not reflect on others.

I think what clinched it was, "I'm not here to teach the world, let me enjoy myself. If the rest of them want to listen to crap, that's their problem'. I still don't like most of the stuff that I didn't like earlier, with the exception of some rap artists (like Eminem and Coolio, they can seriously sing). I can enjoy some hardcore trance occasionally (though I still think any ass can churn that shit out ;) pun not intended).

So now, when I want to say that the song that someone else is praising is crap, I say, "In my opinion, the song is crap". That way people can continue thinking that the song is good and my opinion is crap :).

And I actually think that it is just my opinion.

But the best part is what I don't feel the need to tell them... That their opinion is...