I think the concept of inferential distance applies to art. As a kid, I was mostly exposed to classic rock (Led Zeppelin, Queen, and so on), and I felt something close to disgust when listening to anything significantly removed from that genre. However, I eventually bridged the gap between genres by finding music that mostly resembled classic rock but with a bit of something else. Eventually, this led me to enjoying entirely different genres that I’m fairly sure I’d otherwise hate.
It’s the same with film. I moved from only enjoying blockbuster-type films to very strange films that some might say are pretentious or boring.
Before I thought there was an inferential distance for art, I tried to expose friends and family to some of my favorite movies. So, for example, I’d show them a movie like Festen—which I thought was actually somewhat tame and easy to like—and they’d hate it from the outset. The subtitles were a problem, the plot was a problem, it was boring, and so on. These were intelligent people with complex tastes in other areas. And now that I think about it, I’m confident that I’d feel the same way if I didn’t have the progression of experiences that allowed me to love that movie the first time I watched it.
So, I’d say if you want to enjoy the things “you’re supposed to like,” bridge the distance with things similar to what you already enjoy.
I think the concept of inferential distance applies to art. As a kid, I was mostly exposed to classic rock (Led Zeppelin, Queen, and so on), and I felt something close to disgust when listening to anything significantly removed from that genre. However, I eventually bridged the gap between genres by finding music that mostly resembled classic rock but with a bit of something else. Eventually, this led me to enjoying entirely different genres that I’m fairly sure I’d otherwise hate.
It’s the same with film. I moved from only enjoying blockbuster-type films to very strange films that some might say are pretentious or boring.
Before I thought there was an inferential distance for art, I tried to expose friends and family to some of my favorite movies. So, for example, I’d show them a movie like Festen—which I thought was actually somewhat tame and easy to like—and they’d hate it from the outset. The subtitles were a problem, the plot was a problem, it was boring, and so on. These were intelligent people with complex tastes in other areas. And now that I think about it, I’m confident that I’d feel the same way if I didn’t have the progression of experiences that allowed me to love that movie the first time I watched it.
So, I’d say if you want to enjoy the things “you’re supposed to like,” bridge the distance with things similar to what you already enjoy.