I have the best taste in music

I remember a disagreement over musical taste in early college with a peer (not sure who it was), and we came to the conclusion that everyone thinks that their taste in music is the best, no matter what anyone else says. And this can apply to any other personal preferences. For example, I often think that I watch the best TV shows.

But lately I've seen how important it is that we realize not that our tastes are the best in our own minds, but rather that the tastes of others are not wrong just because they are different.

For example, my brother likes a new band and I just think they're OK. For this reason, I briefly thought my brother had bad taste in music. But on the contrary, I can think of many examples of his excellent taste in music.

And to get to the point, what I'm really trying to say is that I don't think we can know anything about anything, ever. I don't believe in certainty.

This is coming after I sat through something I just found on the Internet that made me mad: The Art of Sleep. Unless you are curious and have about 10 minutes to fill, you may not want to watch it. I think it's way too long, it's commanding, and it overtly rambles. The narrator claims to be an artist, but I find it to really be the voice of an arrogant yet clever person who wants to holler about absolute truths. I guess sometimes these people have been thought of as artists. The basic theme of the "piece" is that everything is art, from dog poo to people crushed by pianos. Bravo. The narrator goes on and on, occasionally showing off by referencing philosophers, and then claiming that they have found the secret to all art and life and want to tell everyone. My opinion: maybe so, maybe not.

It seems like a minor difference in opinion, but really it's so huge that I feel I must use words like "furious" and "enraged". I am furious and enraged after watching that animation.

The argument over whether art is universal (that of the narrator) or relative (my former view) is great, and I didn't like seeing just one side of it so confidently enrobed in snazzy jazz and stylish animation. It's not fair. It's like a political ad.

I am unintentionally using a writing style similar to the narrator. Gah.

The wisest man knows he is not wise at all. Or something like that. It's from Socrates through Aristotle. Whoops, referencing philosophers. But I think it's a good summing up of what I've been feeling lately. Overconfidence causes so many problems. I'd rather be unsure about something than be so sure about something that is wrong. A lot of people would say this is a weakness. It probably is. But I bet you can't think of a war, or a even simple argument between friends, that wasn't fueled by one side (or both) being confident in their view.

This sounds idiotic. Of course people who disagree are going to be confident in their own opinions. I'm confident that not being confident is the way to be. I'm a sorry hypocrite. Whoops, another philosopher reference.

It's just that the deep down problem is that we don't naturally want to entertain the thoughts and ideas of different people, something that is so important and worth doing. I have rambled so much and I am sorry. So I'll just say it and be done with it.

You're not always right. And neither am I.

BRIAN OUT.