Have Totally Different Tastes

I always think it's weird when somebody listens to only one kind of music. There is so much out there and so much is attractive for totally different reasons, but it's good. By the same token, it should be weird if a person only likes one kind of story.

And yet, I find it odd when people have totally different tastes in books or movies. Somehow, if I think of a story as being a piece of worthless trash, then I am shocked that a person whose opinions I generally agree with would have anything complimentary to say about a trashy story.

Of course, everybody has their own opinions, and it would be easy enough to chalk it up to that, but if I really challenge the notion, I think there's more to it.

A story is only trash if you judge it by certain criteria. A story may be absolutely terrible if you try to think of it as a legitimate drama, but it could be hilarious if you look at it as a spoof or other form of comedy. A generic romance novel may not be anything more than softcore porn, but if you happen to be in the mood for softcore porn, it could be great.

Few people are always in the same mood all the time. So it is natural that the kinds of media that would interest them would change as often as their moods. Though it may be jarring to hear one person criticize a good movie for logical inconsistencies, and then praise a stupid movie for having awesome graphics, it is probably the better way to go.

Have totally different tastes. Be more than one-dimensional in the kinds of things you like. If nothing else, you will have a far larger pool of material to find some gems in.