Friday, August 03, 2018

Not Like Me

Picture from behind of people viewing the Mona Lisa in Louvre art gallery in Paris


[Photo by Juan Di Nella at Unsplash]


It might strike some people as odd, but I have been able to enjoy blues music without being black, opera without being Italian or French, and football without being athletic.

A comment sparked this thought. I heard a person say that he couldn't appreciate a museum because none of the exhibits featured people like him. I wandered off thinking, "Do people have to be like you in order for you to appreciate their history or their achievements?"

I have spent large portions of my life having special appreciation for approaches, opinions, and work that were not at all "like me." [And yes, that definitely includes works of genius.]

My guess is the "must be like me" attitude is related to identity politics but I'm not sure. It may come from someplace much deeper and far more complicated.

I'm not sure if it's a good place.

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