As for your example; aside from unhealthy addictions, why would one want to discard something they currently like, even if it is trash?
For the same reason that one might want to acquire a taste for something good but presently disliked. Elevating one’s taste to spend more time with the good implies spending less time with the bad.
Hmm. I notice I am getting confused about the difference between liking something and judging it to be good. Is there even a difference? If there is, is the goal to consume a higher proportion of good media even if you dislike it, or more media that you like, even if it is not good?
Maybe “good”, if it is to mean something different than “liked”, just means “liked by other people whose opinions we hold in esteem”.
Hmm. I notice I am getting confused about the difference between liking something and judging it to be good. Is there even a difference?
For example, I can “like” junk food without having the slightest notion of it being “good”. With media, my general rule of thumb is that “like” is something that happens in the moment, but judging something good requires that it had a positive impact that went beyond passing the time. I find that “good” things usually prompt some kind of reflection after the fact. I’ve also found that good media holds up on repeat viewings/readings and each time there seems to be something that I hadn’t noticed before.
I hate being vague about it, but such is the nature of the beast.
Good/trash = High status/low status. High status is probably correlated with more-or-less-objectively good things (eg it somehow makes you smarter/more empathetic/better informed), but it’s also correlated with being unnecessarily obtuse (so that being able to appreciate it has signalling value).
For the same reason that one might want to acquire a taste for something good but presently disliked. Elevating one’s taste to spend more time with the good implies spending less time with the bad.
Hmm. I notice I am getting confused about the difference between liking something and judging it to be good. Is there even a difference? If there is, is the goal to consume a higher proportion of good media even if you dislike it, or more media that you like, even if it is not good?
Maybe “good”, if it is to mean something different than “liked”, just means “liked by other people whose opinions we hold in esteem”.
For example, I can “like” junk food without having the slightest notion of it being “good”. With media, my general rule of thumb is that “like” is something that happens in the moment, but judging something good requires that it had a positive impact that went beyond passing the time. I find that “good” things usually prompt some kind of reflection after the fact. I’ve also found that good media holds up on repeat viewings/readings and each time there seems to be something that I hadn’t noticed before.
I hate being vague about it, but such is the nature of the beast.
As far as I would use the words, judging is a more active process than liking.
My system II might make an active decision that broccoli is good for me while my system one doesn’t like broccoli.
Good/trash = High status/low status. High status is probably correlated with more-or-less-objectively good things (eg it somehow makes you smarter/more empathetic/better informed), but it’s also correlated with being unnecessarily obtuse (so that being able to appreciate it has signalling value).