Getting Judged for Musical Tastes
“Open your mind to the world and the many different ways that can be found in it, before making hasty judgments of others. After all, the very same thing that you judge from where you are— may very well be something totally different in meaning on the other side of the world. The problem with making hasty judgments is that it will emphasize your ignorance at the end of the day.”
― C. JoyBell C.
No one likes to feel like they are being judged or ridiculed for their preferences. However, it’s a reality we face more often than not, both on the giving and receiving side of the spectrum. One significant thing to remember is that each person has a variety of reasons, circumstances, and events that led them to where they are in life. People also develop preferences for many reasons.
Music preferences can be based on many things, associations with other stimuli, memories, culture, and environments to name a few. For that reason, it doesn’t make much sense to give anyone a hard time about the musical preferences they have. Beyond that, you can learn a lot from listening to others. Discovering if there is a story being a particular song is a lot more rewarding as opposed to outright judging the person for liking a song or genre.
Moving the work towards a less judgmental mindset towards a more accepting one doesn’t stop with social issues. We can help create a less judgmental environment by listening and trying to understand. Regardless of if we agree or not there is a lot to be said for the person who listens and trues than those who blindly pass judgment.
This world is filled with so many different things, and it’s those differences that make the world beautiful. Encountering judges can be difficult, but even there are lessons in those experiences as well, even if it’s only what not to do and understanding what you don’t like.