Likes and dislikes

Why do people choose to dislike something? "I don't like carrots", "I hate that band", "I hate jogging"…etc.

Having an opinion has become fashionable! And it's often the people that know the least that have the strongest.

Having an opinion is like saying "I know something about this subject" without actually knowing very much.

"That action is best which procures the greatest happiness of the greatest number", Francis Hutcheson

What I find weird is why people "choose" to dislike so much. And are happy to be opinionated about subjects they know very little about. Who actually suffers as a result of their dislikes? People that like to dislike simply make their lives more difficult.

So I would suggest take the things you don't like, the things that you have a choice whether to like or dislike, and try to like them.

I didn't really like sausages when I was young. I'm not entirely certain why. I just spent a lot of time saying "no, I don't like sausages". But over time I tried a little, then more, and now I'd send a good fry-up back to the kitchen if it didn't have a couple of pork sausages smiling up at me.

Obviously this is more than simply trying to like sausages but a strategy for enjoying life.

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.", Arthur Schopenhauer

Opinions are dangerous. Because they facilitate an expression of emotion, something people enjoy doing – especially with friends in a pub, people without an opinion adopt others. So people have a responsibility to ensure their opinions are well considered.

If people have a genuine interest in a subject they equally have a responsibility to form their own opinions. After all, we are in a democracy. Unfortunately politics is driven by opinions many of which have been poorly considered and often exaggerated by the media.

The more things you take pleasure from, the more pleasure you will experience. The happier you will be.