Nowadays, whenever I speak to someone who “dislikes” a certain type of food, I always try to persuade them to try enough of it to like it, even if they don’t want to like it now—because if they did like it, then they would regret not liking it, and it would make them appreciate more things as a result.
One of the great ways to become a snob is do side-by-side comparisons (NancyLebovitz has links in another comment.) If you drink cheap bourbon immediately before expensive bourbon, the difference is highlighted compared to drinking them a week apart.
Many people who have done that have regretted it, though, because it ruins the cheap variety for them. Whenever they drink the cheap stuff, they think “this is so much worse than the good stuff,” and so either their hobby becomes significantly more expensive or gets curtailed (because now they can only afford it a fourth of the time), and it’s not clear that their overall experience is significantly better.
I, for example, have very picky tastes in food. The diet I choose for myself costs about $2-3 a day, and consists mostly of simple bread I make myself and water with a touch of lemon. I’m satisficed; would I be all that much better off if I made the investment to switch to steaks and cola?
Ah, but we know the difference there is that I’m sure you can appreciate the flavour of good steak and good cola if the situation calls for it, for example if you’re treated to it in a restaurant. Choosing not to have something is a different matter to be simply unable to enjoy something that other people get great pleasure out of.
I guess I have the kind of personality which benefits most from the “I like everything” mindset, because I don’t mind so much that something is worse than something else, as long as it’s still good by my internal judgement. If I’m having supermarket shrimp, I know I could be having lobster, and even the shrimp would be tastier if it was freshly caught, but I don’t really mind since I’m mostly thinking “mmmmmm… shrimp”.
I’m sure you can appreciate the flavour of good steak and good cola if the situation calls for it
I am unaccustomed to carbonation, and thus find any colas distasteful. I have not been able to discern a quality difference between chicken and the few steaks that I have eaten.
As long as you wouldn’t call a good steak “bad” and go “eww”, I don’t think you’re missing out on too much. Being able to have the thought “hmm. Steak.” is sufficient for my ideal.
One of the great ways to become a snob is do side-by-side comparisons (NancyLebovitz has links in another comment.) If you drink cheap bourbon immediately before expensive bourbon, the difference is highlighted compared to drinking them a week apart.
Many people who have done that have regretted it, though, because it ruins the cheap variety for them. Whenever they drink the cheap stuff, they think “this is so much worse than the good stuff,” and so either their hobby becomes significantly more expensive or gets curtailed (because now they can only afford it a fourth of the time), and it’s not clear that their overall experience is significantly better.
I, for example, have very picky tastes in food. The diet I choose for myself costs about $2-3 a day, and consists mostly of simple bread I make myself and water with a touch of lemon. I’m satisficed; would I be all that much better off if I made the investment to switch to steaks and cola?
Ah, but we know the difference there is that I’m sure you can appreciate the flavour of good steak and good cola if the situation calls for it, for example if you’re treated to it in a restaurant. Choosing not to have something is a different matter to be simply unable to enjoy something that other people get great pleasure out of.
I guess I have the kind of personality which benefits most from the “I like everything” mindset, because I don’t mind so much that something is worse than something else, as long as it’s still good by my internal judgement. If I’m having supermarket shrimp, I know I could be having lobster, and even the shrimp would be tastier if it was freshly caught, but I don’t really mind since I’m mostly thinking “mmmmmm… shrimp”.
I am unaccustomed to carbonation, and thus find any colas distasteful. I have not been able to discern a quality difference between chicken and the few steaks that I have eaten.
As long as you wouldn’t call a good steak “bad” and go “eww”, I don’t think you’re missing out on too much. Being able to have the thought “hmm. Steak.” is sufficient for my ideal.
I agree that good chicken is just as good as good steak.