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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kannik" data-source="post: 9703027" data-attributes="member: 984">Hear hear!  In my view, there is a distinction between an opinion, a review, and a critique.  And while language and everyday parlance can be squishy, it's good to recognize and hold them separate.  We don't always have to engage in each of them -- it's alright to just state your opinion if you liked something or not! -- collapsing them especially in that "I didn't like it, so therefore it must be poorly made, and I will therefore use this as a cudgel against others" / "I like this, therefore it must be excellent, and I will take a sword against anyone who says otherwise," is not productive in the least.  And I really like this notion/suggestion of occasionally doing a critique of our critiques and of our likes/dislikes.  <a href="https://lynxthoughts.com/2025/02/25/philosophy-tuesday-518/" target="_blank">I mused about this a couple of months ago</a> and wrote this:  "And in that way, critiques have this interesting, dual nature.  On the one hand, a critique is distinct from whether we like or dislike something.   While a critique may include whether we like it or not, but during the bulk of the critique we aim to stand outside of ourselves in that regard in order to consider the work from all those [other] lenses.  Yet, at the same time, to make a critique is to put ourselves on the line, vulnerable.  Vulnerable, as we have to open ourselves up fully to the work to engage it without the filter of “like/dislike”.  And vulnerable too because to make and share a critique is akin to the vulnerability that comes from making and sharing that art to the world.  We’re putting ourselves on the line.  It’s not an unassailable gut feel.  And any gut feels we have we both bear it and examine it and take ownership for it."Partially that's the whole notion behind the idea of "guilty pleasures" too, right?  While we probably shouldn't actually feel guilty about it (or, worse, shame), it at least is a recognition that this thing we like isn't necessarily well done but it still speaks to us such that we love it anyway.  Maybe that's a good first step for people to begin to understand and explore this distinction?</blockquote>

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