Why do we criticise?
 

A huge and open question, and I'm not just talking about this forum. Why is it that we, as a race, feel the need to judge and criticise things we don't agree with? Whether it's music (duh), literature, religion (or lack of it), political beliefs, where we holiday, what sports team we support ... we seem to all have this innate need to say "no you're wrong. You should be listening to this/reading that/thinking this/supporting that" etc.

Why?

Is it to make ourselves feel better? Is it to (hopefully) improve the life of the other person? Is it an inferiority complex? Are we that arrogant that we think we know it all? Is it just for the kicks? Do we want to be seen to be more intelligent than we are, or is this just another part of humanity's desperate and constant need for combat and competition?

I'd like to have a serious discussion on this. I'm sure that's not what I'll get, but I'd really like to see what people think. In essence, why can't it all be good and why do we have to try to sway others to our point of view?

Teenagers need to use music, their fashion sense, their politics, their choice of social groups, their rebellion against their parents, etc as a way to assert themselves as distinct individuals out of fear of losing their sense of self, and I suspect adults never truly get over that instinct.

Hmm. When I saw you were the first response, I expected a pithy "Your mom" sort of reply, so fair play; that's a decent answer. Anyone else?

Your Mom is a coping mechanism.

My mom was very much a coping mechanism: she raised five of us on her own for over ten years. That's some machine.

Bless her soul.

I was just combining the above posts into one snappy quip, btw. Kind of a "To sum things up..." moment for me. I don't know.

I need some air.

...and beer.

We criticize art as a way of determining to what degree the art (and to a lesser extend the artist) in question did its job of evoking an emotional response in the person who experienced it.

As for criticizing others for non-art related things like religion, political beliefs, etc., it's probably to do with the idea that we think we are right in our beliefs (or lack thereof) and that others are not and that we can enlighten them if we state (or yell) our reasons as to why we are right for believing (or not believing) in something. The more people that believe (or don't) believe in the thing we do, the more we can silence any nagging of self-doubt.

Anyways that's enough pop psychology from me in this pointless thread.

I either feel strongly about my opinion or it's ****s and giggles.

To troll trollheart