In Defense of Judgment
Morning Thoughts #184
Learn quality. Be able to discern what possesses it and what does not. Always question before consumption: is this authentic? Actually, Americans that we are, let’s frame it in terms of food. Learn to identify the organic and how to suss out its imitators. Learn what constitutes organic expression in a given environment or medium. Be cautious, for the entertainment industry (not to mention the political establishment) is notorious for its use of pesticides!
Consuming the best elevates you and provides an invaluable lesson in taste! Be that as it may, first, you must learn taste and, as with anything, your personal discovery will involve much trial and error. (Personal does not imply relative, mind you).
What is the end goal? A limp-wristed though intuitively sensitive aesthetic class? No, good taste, once refined and practiced, presents a usefulness that transcends category. The better you are at reading poetry (to give an example), the better, say, you can recognize the genius of a Rilke versus the mediocrity of an (overhyped contemporary poet #3), the more adept you will be at finding real needles in a world of fake haystacks.
Beware those incapable of judgment and those who judge only to condemn judgment itself. Believe in the existence of quality because it is the precursor of belief in self. To believe that quality exists (which is also an implicit acknowledgment of its opposite) gives a person a target to aim for and provides an inborn purpose not subject to the whims of fashion!
To enjoy fine wine is one thing; it may indicate class to a certain degree, but, in the end, to eat and drink involves a baseness inherent to any pure bodily function. The finest wine is the cousin of tomorrow’s piss. But art, humanity's highest creations and expressions, once digested, only keep on providing nourishment! In the end, perhaps they even inspire one to acts of their own creation—acts, mind you, that aren’t contained to a private stall!
Friends, learn quality! And I’m not saying disagreements aren’t possible, not at all! Personally, I have no taste for grapefruit. I will avoid it if given any kind of choice, but I’m not going to condemn the taste of those who enjoy grapefruit. One good taste can clash with another good taste. What fun would it be if that weren’t the case?!
Friends, I speak in defense of judgment. Why, you may ask? Because: to have good taste inspires a more delectable world!