I try and look at things I enjoy and find a reason why I enjoyed at a deep level to explain my recommendation, as well as find a deeper understanding in myself. For example I enjoy Saints row 4 because of it's ludicrous fun and carnage for the animal inside my head, as well a solid characters, and smart comedy to give it something for the brain to do. So escapists, do you think about why you like something? and if you want tell us what it is and why.
Do you think about WHY you like something? If so what?
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Yeah...a lot of William King's books are rather dull, and his writing style isn't great, but he's very good at world building. The main character will spend a lot of time thinking about the world, and considering events, and their place in the human experience.
Nope, way to much effort. If I enjoy something, I see no point in digging in deeper to find out why and risk losing interest. My taste in anime is terrible. I watch the moe, romantic comedies that fill up the market. But for some reaosn I enjoy them and they help pass the time. I see no point in digging into why and then hating them. How else would I spend my time?
I usually do with games, but it's not really anything I do on a particularly conscious level. While I'm playing I generally just tend to enjoy (or not enjoy) the experience. After I'm done I'll have little things just pop into my head that have me reflecting on what I liked/disliked in a more passive manner. It's not often that I'll specifically sit down and think about it.
Sure, all the time. I review every book I read, every film I watch, every game I play. Sometimes it's immediate, sometimes I ruminate and get back on the subject a while later. I like organizing my thoughts that way. It's a healthy exercize.
Yeah, I frequently quiz myself about why I enjoy the art I enjoy; asking myself what exactly appeals to me about the work, and what it says about me that those things appeal to me. Until I start to dig up things I don't like, anyway. ("This book actually isn't that good when you really think about it; why do I still love it?" "Well, you grew up with this series. Maybe you're just trying desperately to hold onto your childhood comforts because you're having trouble growing into the responsibilities of adulthood... Eh, you know what? Let's just drop it; it's not that important.")
If I like something... then I like it. If it's a piece of art I'll be all like, "Yeah. like this. I'll set it as my desktop and follow them..." I won't usually think about why I like it; just that I do.
I suppose, in the end, if it doesn't stab me in the perineum, then it can't be all that bad.
I suppose, in the end, if it doesn't stab me in the perineum, then it can't be all that bad.
Only if that thing is part of a genre I don't normally like or if I like something which does things I criticize other things for doing. Same goes for the opposite situation, where something seems like it would appeal to me but doesnt.
Yes, most things I like I try to figure out why so I can recommend them properly and/or find stuff like it.
Occasionally, I fail spectacularly at figuring out why I like something, but that keeps things fun.
Occasionally, I fail spectacularly at figuring out why I like something, but that keeps things fun.
It generally depends on the medium.
Films aren't really my forte, so typically I don't scrutinize them too heavily or examine why I do or don't enjoy them.
Music and video games, on the other hand?
I've spent literal hours of my life debating Final Fantasy XIII and why I think it's a bad Final Fantasy game. All the time I was playing The Last of Us, I was constantly comparing and analyzing it to figure out the things I liked and what about it was making me not enjoy it that much. I can easily explain why I enjoy Devil May Cry 3 and yet still find DmC to be one of the more interesting entries into the franchise. I know exactly what makes me like Diablo III when practically every other isometric ARPG ends up boring me after a few hours.
And of course, when it comes to music it's more down to the fact that I'm not particularly picky. I like harmonies, and it doesn't matter if it comes from pop, rap, rock, metal, hardcore, or any of their weird sub-genres that people get all upset about if you don't label them properly. Why I like any given song can vary, but most often it falls upon how easily it gets stuck in my head. There are songs I enjoy when I listen to them, but they're not really memorable enough for me to say I actively like them, while most albums by bands I do like will have an average of two-four songs that really stick out in my mind and I go back to whenever I want to listen to that band. At that point, the question is about what made it so memorable to me, which isn't something I always find easy to answer.
Films aren't really my forte, so typically I don't scrutinize them too heavily or examine why I do or don't enjoy them.
Music and video games, on the other hand?
I've spent literal hours of my life debating Final Fantasy XIII and why I think it's a bad Final Fantasy game. All the time I was playing The Last of Us, I was constantly comparing and analyzing it to figure out the things I liked and what about it was making me not enjoy it that much. I can easily explain why I enjoy Devil May Cry 3 and yet still find DmC to be one of the more interesting entries into the franchise. I know exactly what makes me like Diablo III when practically every other isometric ARPG ends up boring me after a few hours.
And of course, when it comes to music it's more down to the fact that I'm not particularly picky. I like harmonies, and it doesn't matter if it comes from pop, rap, rock, metal, hardcore, or any of their weird sub-genres that people get all upset about if you don't label them properly. Why I like any given song can vary, but most often it falls upon how easily it gets stuck in my head. There are songs I enjoy when I listen to them, but they're not really memorable enough for me to say I actively like them, while most albums by bands I do like will have an average of two-four songs that really stick out in my mind and I go back to whenever I want to listen to that band. At that point, the question is about what made it so memorable to me, which isn't something I always find easy to answer.
No, I do not think about "why" I like something. "Why", to me, is the least relevant question to ask of anything. It is a question asked by someone with low intelligence and even lower expectations.
If you ask, and answer, "how" and "what"...you will never need to ask "why" ever again.
For instance, '"what" about this did I like?' and '"how" did it capture my attention?' are questions I would ask in this regard. Sometimes, you have to get creative in your wording of the question you wish to ask in order to fit "how" or "what", but you will have a better answer, and perhaps be more knowledgable about your subject, because of it.
If you ask, and answer, "how" and "what"...you will never need to ask "why" ever again.
For instance, '"what" about this did I like?' and '"how" did it capture my attention?' are questions I would ask in this regard. Sometimes, you have to get creative in your wording of the question you wish to ask in order to fit "how" or "what", but you will have a better answer, and perhaps be more knowledgable about your subject, because of it.
I analyze the things I like constantly trying to determine why it is I enjoy them. I do this partly because I am a critical person by nature. Movies are what I understand more than anything, and so I'll stick to that for my example. Silence of the Lambs is well regarded and a lot of people give the movie tons of praise. They talk about the acting, the characters, the suspense generated by the pacing, but my favorite thing about the movie is nearly never discussed. The cinematography is freakin' superb!
By way of example, I always tell people to go back and watch the scene where Clarice is talking to the good Dr. in his new, lavish cage. What I noticed the first time I watched it was the way their back and forth evolved. As Clarice starts off with the upper hand in their discussion, the camera flips from her to the Dr. and we see him sitting there behind bars, caged and restrained. But as the scene evolves and the Dr. gains greater and greater leverage in their talk, the camera gets closer and closer to him, leaving shots of Clarice more distant, making her look smaller, weaker. Finally, as the Dr. seizes his position of power in their dialogue, the camera is in so close that we no longer see him through the bars of the cage. We are up close and personal with the monster, the audience themselves no longer protected by the view the camera was giving them. And when we flip back to Clarice? Now we see her through those bars, trapped and restrained.
That scene illustrates how very powerful something as easily ignored as camera work is. Just by changing a few things about the shot could have robbed it of its impact. As it was done, the cinematography doesn't just support the excellent performances by the actors, it takes the scene to places it would have never gone with just acting alone. This is why I think about what I like. So that I can gain real appreciation for what makes something good. If I had never taken the time to think about it, I'd never have realized what sort of impact cinematography can have on a scene and thus never value it like I should when I see it.
By way of example, I always tell people to go back and watch the scene where Clarice is talking to the good Dr. in his new, lavish cage. What I noticed the first time I watched it was the way their back and forth evolved. As Clarice starts off with the upper hand in their discussion, the camera flips from her to the Dr. and we see him sitting there behind bars, caged and restrained. But as the scene evolves and the Dr. gains greater and greater leverage in their talk, the camera gets closer and closer to him, leaving shots of Clarice more distant, making her look smaller, weaker. Finally, as the Dr. seizes his position of power in their dialogue, the camera is in so close that we no longer see him through the bars of the cage. We are up close and personal with the monster, the audience themselves no longer protected by the view the camera was giving them. And when we flip back to Clarice? Now we see her through those bars, trapped and restrained.
That scene illustrates how very powerful something as easily ignored as camera work is. Just by changing a few things about the shot could have robbed it of its impact. As it was done, the cinematography doesn't just support the excellent performances by the actors, it takes the scene to places it would have never gone with just acting alone. This is why I think about what I like. So that I can gain real appreciation for what makes something good. If I had never taken the time to think about it, I'd never have realized what sort of impact cinematography can have on a scene and thus never value it like I should when I see it.
I consume the entertainment, making light points about it along the way but once I put it down or finish (if I plow through it in the case of games) I'll start trying to justify my opinion of it. Maybe I always doubt my own liking of something when I clearly liked something.
Halo would be the biggest example of this (even over Call of Duty), 'cause I am all too aware of how well... not hated on but looked down upon it is amongst the gaming community.
Halo would be the biggest example of this (even over Call of Duty), 'cause I am all too aware of how well... not hated on but looked down upon it is amongst the gaming community.
I don't spend much time thinking about why i like the things i do, usually it's enough that i like them.
When i come to a greater understanding of my tastes it is usually because i am attempting to explain something i like to a friend.
Whether it's Mako's deliriously upbeat affection, Satsuki's calm, cold burning fury, Ryuko's hot blooded heroism and occasional stupidity or Gamagoori's fanatical loyalty. I could go on for every character, but each of them just bursts with the kind of passion you can only get from a studio staffed by wonderfully deranged people.
When i come to a greater understanding of my tastes it is usually because i am attempting to explain something i like to a friend.
For me, it's the passion. Every character is different, but they all have a kind of passionate energy that just brings the whole thing to life.Caramel Frappe said:
Whether it's Mako's deliriously upbeat affection, Satsuki's calm, cold burning fury, Ryuko's hot blooded heroism and occasional stupidity or Gamagoori's fanatical loyalty. I could go on for every character, but each of them just bursts with the kind of passion you can only get from a studio staffed by wonderfully deranged people.
You know, if you're going to needlessly disparage the intelligence of others, you should probably at least spell check before posting.CrazyCapnMorgan said:
And for the purposes of rhetoric, "How did it capture my attention?" is functionally no different from "Why did it capture my attention?" "Why" encompasses the entire spectrum of "How", "What", "When", and "Where", generally speaking in this context, and I'd think it would be rare for someone to not spring off of "Why did I like this?" into examining the other, less broad questions.
I guess recently that would be South Park: The Stick of Truth.
Just some background, while I think the show itself is alright but I no longer watched the episode since the movie and a few random episodes after that (like the smug, Buck Roger Cartman and Chef return episodes) and the only reason why I bought it was watching Pewdiepie let play on it (it look funny).
Now that I played and finish it, I do liked it since it was an unconventional rpg (having the Jew class and status effect "gross"). Sure it wasn't perfect (it was somewhat simple, the interface can be annoying at times, the battle isn't balance) and I was bad at the quick tiem effect) but I still enyoed it.
Just some background, while I think the show itself is alright but I no longer watched the episode since the movie and a few random episodes after that (like the smug, Buck Roger Cartman and Chef return episodes) and the only reason why I bought it was watching Pewdiepie let play on it (it look funny).
Now that I played and finish it, I do liked it since it was an unconventional rpg (having the Jew class and status effect "gross"). Sure it wasn't perfect (it was somewhat simple, the interface can be annoying at times, the battle isn't balance) and I was bad at the quick tiem effect) but I still enyoed it.
Do you think about WHY you like something?
- Yes. Yes I do.
If so, what?
- Just about everything I like.
For me, when I enjoy a piece of media entertainment, I like to understand why.
In some cases, my analysis of a piece leads me to enjoying it slightly less. In other cases, it leads me to a greater level of admiration and appreciation of the piece.
Understanding the successes and failings of the media you love can often endear a piece to you more so than when you love it "just because".
And besides, if nothing else, understanding why a particular piece appeals to me while another does not helps me to better understand myself.
- Yes. Yes I do.
If so, what?
- Just about everything I like.
For me, when I enjoy a piece of media entertainment, I like to understand why.
In some cases, my analysis of a piece leads me to enjoying it slightly less. In other cases, it leads me to a greater level of admiration and appreciation of the piece.
Understanding the successes and failings of the media you love can often endear a piece to you more so than when you love it "just because".
And besides, if nothing else, understanding why a particular piece appeals to me while another does not helps me to better understand myself.
I do try to think about why I like something but for somethings it's kind of a no-brainer. Example!
When I take a bite out of a new food thing I like and it reminds me of another food I'm fond of I think, "This reminds me of that thus I like it" and then shut off my brain until I am out of the food thing.
Then there are other things that I try to analyze as I go through it. I like Skyrim! Why do I like Skyrim? It's like Oblivion! I liked Oblivion because of how open-ended it is...Hey, that's an odd looking tree...IT'S A SECRET DOOR! I just beat a mission I didn' even know was available by virtue of having a keen eye! Oh hey, that's an odd looking, out of the way, cave in Skyrim! Oh, there's a locked door inside that I can't past...there are quite a few of these in skyrim...oh hey I leveled up in Skyrim...Wow, I like this new leveling system! etc-etc-etc-etc-etc
When I take a bite out of a new food thing I like and it reminds me of another food I'm fond of I think, "This reminds me of that thus I like it" and then shut off my brain until I am out of the food thing.
Then there are other things that I try to analyze as I go through it. I like Skyrim! Why do I like Skyrim? It's like Oblivion! I liked Oblivion because of how open-ended it is...Hey, that's an odd looking tree...IT'S A SECRET DOOR! I just beat a mission I didn' even know was available by virtue of having a keen eye! Oh hey, that's an odd looking, out of the way, cave in Skyrim! Oh, there's a locked door inside that I can't past...there are quite a few of these in skyrim...oh hey I leveled up in Skyrim...Wow, I like this new leveling system! etc-etc-etc-etc-etc
Only if it's an extreme reaction or something I've seen/read/played/listened to it enough times that it's the only way to keep them interesting or I've had it on repeat so long that I question why.
If I take an instant dislike to something I try and figure out why so I know I'm not missing out on something I might potentially enjoy or judging the book by it's cover.
I was doing the crossword from the newspaper and one of the clues was "Darth's daughter"
This clue annoyed me soooo much I actually had to turn the paper over and sit thinking about why it pissed me off. I mean I like Star Wars but I wouldn't class myself as a huge fan of the franchise (despite the fact that my nickname is Yoda) certainly not someone who should get mad at a stupid puzzle in the local paper.
On a more positive note I did have to defend why I liked the film Space Milkshake to myself. It is a bad movie in almost every sense of the phrase and it's enjoyable with actors I like. They're obviously just having fun with it and the film makers are enjoying the Saskatchewan tax credits they got to make it. I'm having fun ripping it to shreds and it isn't trying to be some serious drama piece.
If I take an instant dislike to something I try and figure out why so I know I'm not missing out on something I might potentially enjoy or judging the book by it's cover.
I was doing the crossword from the newspaper and one of the clues was "Darth's daughter"
This clue annoyed me soooo much I actually had to turn the paper over and sit thinking about why it pissed me off. I mean I like Star Wars but I wouldn't class myself as a huge fan of the franchise (despite the fact that my nickname is Yoda) certainly not someone who should get mad at a stupid puzzle in the local paper.
On a more positive note I did have to defend why I liked the film Space Milkshake to myself. It is a bad movie in almost every sense of the phrase and it's enjoyable with actors I like. They're obviously just having fun with it and the film makers are enjoying the Saskatchewan tax credits they got to make it. I'm having fun ripping it to shreds and it isn't trying to be some serious drama piece.