Not Liking Something Because It's Popular

[Galena]

But that means seeming okay with being compared with obnoxious people! How do you do it?

As much as I hate receiving this answer when I ask such questions: by just not caring. If we mean something to one another, they'll find out what I'm really like. If not, either the joke reaches them or not. Not all of 'em will all the time, and that's not personal; that's statistics.

 

[skylights]

I understand feeling annoyed/sad when something you've always loved that's been your "special" thing suddenly becomes everyone's thing... or wanting to differentiate yourself when it seems like everyone has the same thing... or just not feeling as much interest in something that has been talked about extensively. The example of The Hunger Games has been brought up - I feel like I sort of am acquainted with the storyline through association, and I have to admit that I haven't had much compulsion to check it out. I'd like to get into it later once the hype has quieted down some. Without all the "noise" around it.

I guess I feel like those sorts of feelings have to be balanced with judging things personally on their individual merit. I did read and love Harry Potter and enjoyed keeping up with it with my friends, though only til the 5th book, which was not as appealing to me, nor the remainder of the series. Hardcore fans shake their heads at me for this, of course! I have a mix of popular and relatively unknown preferences and that is fine by me. There is something more "intimate" about the relatively unknown ones, while it can be pleasant to revel in the more popular interests with others.

I tend to associate this with type 6. Am I off?

Hm. Maybe for some, but not all. It has never been something I have particularly struggled with. I thought it was a 4 and 3w4 thing, too.

Maybe things being very popular may make it harder for a 6 to process them, because we are generally very open to external input. Like I was mentioning before, to me it can feel like a lot of "noise" surrounding something. I prefer to approach things on my own when it is "quiet". Like I said with The Hunger Games. I don't have an opinion on it, and I'll probably get around to reading the series. Just not now while it's all abuzz. Or like with the 50 Shades books - I read the trilogy a while after the big popularity explosion, a friend gave me her copies. It's just more pleasing to me to process it in private. Feels more "real". Like there's space for just me and the books to make contact, instead of the whole world weighing in.

 

[21%]

That kind of attitude annoys me too -- I understand it, though. I went through something like that in my awkward pre-teen years when I refused to like anything pink, cute and girly, because I was trying to be an 'adult'.

It also annoys me when people like something just because it's unpopular, or worse, because it is 'wrong'. Take a very mild example: if a celeb says something sexist/racist and everyone is speaking out against them, it annoys the heck out of me when people decide to side with the sexist/racist comment not because they agree but simply because they want to be contrary to what the public thinks. It's just so juvenile and it irks my Fe.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

Sigh. I admit, it's the worst feeling ever when something I like or hold dear becomes popular/mainstream.

I can't help it.

But, do you start to dislike them because of it?

 

[Sunny Ghost]

IDK... a couple of counterphobic 6's I know are very against popular mainstream stuffs. My sister is one of those types. On top of that, she criticizes others and believes that most people do things as an effect of popular culture. Such as, people are purposefully being rebellious, or I became a vegetarian because it was the hot new hippy trend. It makes me think she is often influenced and counter the influence of the general public.

The girl I mentioned in my first post was similar and she was always purposefully rebellious. I found it obnoxious.

I'm certain 4's probably do something similar, since we have that whole elitism thing. But there's a big part of us that strives for authenticity, too. For me, that means giving in to my guilty pleasures even if I don't always find them to be cool.

 

[figsfiggyfigs]

Sigh. I admit, it's the worst feeling ever when something I like or hold dear becomes popular/mainstream.

I can't help it.

Well now you can't tell people you genuinely like it without them thinking you're just jumping on the bandwagon! P:


Tbh, it's really fucking annoying when you've liked something for a long time, tried to get your friends into it , and they refused to, or didn't like it, until it became mainstream popular.

 

[Udog]

Tbh, it's really fucking annoying when you've liked something for a long time, tried to get your friends into it , and they refused to, or didn't like it, until it became mainstream popular.

Ugh, I've had that happen several times. In general, these people would eventually prove themselves to not be very good friends. Has that been your experience?

 

[gromit]

Sigh. I admit, it's the worst feeling ever when something I like or hold dear becomes popular/mainstream.

I can't help it.

 

[ndovjtjcaqidthi]

But, do you start to dislike them because of it?

Yes.

 

[figsfiggyfigs]

Ugh, I've had that happen several times. In general, these people would eventually prove themselves to not be very good friends. Has that been your experience?

Nah, they're just shitty decision makers when it comes to their own enjoyment People are stubborn about weird things.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

IDK... a couple of counterphobic 6's I know are very against popular mainstream stuffs. My sister is one of those types. On top of that, she criticizes others and believes that most people do things as an effect of popular culture. Such as, people are purposefully being rebellious, or I became a vegetarian because it was the hot new hippy trend. It makes me think she is often influenced and counter the influence of the general public.

I do this, too. Usually, it happens when I see a bunch of people doing something, and it doesn't make sense to me, and I have the impression that it is "expected" of me. I don't even know why I think that it is "expected" of me. When asked to clarify why I think that, I often can't explain. It bubbles up from my unconscious, or something.

I'm less like this about entertainment, although I used to be.

 

[garbage]

I enjoy the feeling of being idosyncratic, but not enough to care about this.

As long as it doesn't become bastardized (catering to the lowest common denominator, etc.) I'm fine with it. In fact, if something becomes popular, the artist might have incentive to prolong his career and to produce more works. Good for me.

 

[greenfairy]

I do this, too. Usually, it happens when I see a bunch of people doing something, and it doesn't make sense to me, and I have the impression that it is "expected" of me. I don't even know why I think that it is "expected" of me. When asked to clarify why I think that, I often can't explain. It bubbles up from my unconscious, or something.

I'm less like this about entertainment, although I used to be.

This actually reflects what I would say. More often though I just think really popular things are kind of dumb, like it didn't take any intellect or creativity to produce them, and if they don't entertain me I disdain them. Entertainment is fine. I'm also a bit suspicious of media and popular culture because I think the elusive and vague entity called the power structure uses these things to control the population, telling us how we should think and feel, so we will buy things and trust them and not look at what's really going on in the world.

It kind of annoys me when people do this in some ways, like you can't like things which are popular or else it makes you less intelligent or sophisticated; I think it's important to have a broad taste in things, but that can include some things which are popular. It can also get annoying though if you think something is genuinely not that good, and it seems like EVERYONE thinks it's the BEST THING EVER. It makes you wonder why they don't see what you see.

 

[Lady_X]

i'm not sure i've ever witnessed such stupidity. i mean that i've never heard anyone actually say that.

 

[HongDou]

Tbh, it's really fucking annoying when you've liked something for a long time, tried to get your friends into it , and they refused to, or didn't like it, until it became mainstream popular.

/takes of shades and softly whispers into the sunset, "Ariana Grande..."

Although that's the only thing I get upset about when things get popular. You're like dude I've talked to you about this for ages and you've only now just started to because it blew up for everyone else? LAME.

But I like things regardless of whether it's popular or not. I just know even if other people like it it doesn't mean that what it means to me will change.

 

[rav3n]

Rejection for or against pop culture, are examples of herd mentality. Baaaahhhh!

 

[ndovjtjcaqidthi]

Rejection for or against pop culture, are examples of herd mentality. Baaaahhhh!

There's a difference between being a non-conformist, and being a non-conformist because it's fashionable.

 

[rav3n]

There's a difference between being a non-conformist, and being a non-conformist because it's fashionable.

Why non-conform? Why not critically accept or reject?

 

[ndovjtjcaqidthi]

Why non-conform? Why not critically accept or reject?

I don't disagree with you.

 

[RaptorWizard]

A popular person I hate is king James; he has Wade and Allen to thank for holding the sides of his platform in the air.