I'm Offended...

I'm pretty sure we've all been in this situation before: you're having a conversation with somebody and you're talking about something that you like, when suddenly they utter those horrifying words: "Yeah, I don't really like that". What? They don't like the same thing that you like? How is this possible? That's offensive.



Okay, okay. It sounds a bit obnoxious when I put it like that, but so many of us do this. Some of us do it a little bit more melodramatically than others, but still, lots of us do it. Do I do it? Nope, not anymore. Because I am usually the only person I know to like a thing, I'm usually the one who's saying "I don't really like that", and let me tell you something: there is nothing that gets on my nerves more than when people act "offended" just because you said that you don't like something that they like.

In my nineteen years of life (including most of last week), I've heard a lot of things that go like this:

"WHAT?? How can you not like that?"

There's a long list of reasons why, but I know for a fact that you won't be willing to listen.

"Please tell me you're joking."

Nope. I'm 100% serious. I don't like it.

"Do you even like anything?"

Yes, I like a lot of things. Just not the same things as you.

"You really need to get your priorities sorted."

My priorities are fine, thank you very much.

"How are we even friends?"
Because there are other things that we share a common interest in and we're friendly to each other.

"I can't be your friend if you don't like this."

Oh well, what a shame.

I think you get my point by now. This isn't something recent, this is something that has annoyed me for years now, but it hasn't really sprung to my mind until recently when I stumbled across a YouTube channel called I Hate Everything. The guy who runs this channel has a series called "Comment Comeback" where he comments on the comments that he gets on his videos where he - very politely, I should add - talks about things that he hates.

When I was watching these videos I was just amazed at how many people got upset (or butthurt, as I like to say) over something as harmless as somebody explaining their reasons for not liking something. And that's all that was happening, he just explained why. If somebody is outright bashing the thing you like and saying that it 's this-that-and-the-other using derogatory words and saying that you're a moron for liking it, then yes you have a right to get upset. But something as simple as and "I don't like this, here's why"? No, you should probably calm down a bit. Get some painkillers for your butt and come talk to me again when you're feeling better.

So, why do people get defensive when they find out that somebody doesn't like their favourite thing? I understand that a person's favourite thing (book/movie/video game/band etc.) can mean a lot to them, but art is completely subjective (yes, I just used the word 'art' in this post.). What is art to one person could be total garbage to another person. Tons of people like the song 'Uptown Funk', while I can't stand it. Big deal. It's just a song. Not liking a song isn't the same as telling somebody that they're ugly or a failure because those things are just mean.

Do you hate is when people say they're "offended" by you not liking something? Or do you actually do it yourself?