May 20, 2010
You don’t have to be an expert to have a valid and very strong opinion
Some people seem to think you need to be really knowledgeable about or really good at something before you should be permitted to have a strong opinion about it. People of this mind might say that, since I’m only a novice guitar player, I’m not qualified to judge how good a solo is.
But why not? It was made to be listened to and I’m the one listening to it…just like you. I don’t need to be able play a better solo than John Hiatt to critique what he played.
That’s just not how life works. For example…
Do you have a favorite pair of jeans? If so, are you a tailor? You better be, cuz otherwise who are you to judge if a pair of pants are made well?
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People have the right to disagree with you. Why should they have the right to criticize you, but you don’t have the right to criticize John Hiatt?
I think Abraham’s particularly talking about the type of disagreement–that he doesn’t advocate disagreement based on the idea that he doesn’t know enough.
In other words, I think he’s saying: It’s okay disagree with me by saying you think the solo is good. However, don’t tell me you disagree with my opinion, or right to form one, on the basis that I don’t know enough about guitar.
I (Jessica) don’t mean to belabor a point. And I’m sorry if I’m misconstruing the point you’re making, Joe.
I would argue that the validity part is only true in certain domains. For example, I may have strong opinions on the type of surgery I want, whether my child should be vaccinated against diseases, or which antibiotic will cure my sinus infection. Since I am not a health care professional, my opinions are highly unlikely to be valid even when I’ve had the experience of having surgery, having my child vaccinated, or having used antibiotics to fight an infection.
Perhaps the difference lies in the active/passive distinction. I can actively listen to and judge a guitar solo. I cannot do the same with things that must be done to me.
I think there’s probably a separation in this thinking from opinion and fact. Whether a guitar solo is good or bad is opinion — as we saw in the comments. Whether he is a good technical player or not could be another question, some opinion, but starts entering more of a measurable area (accuracy on playing something, for example).
Beyond that, I think, is things that require a technical understanding to be able to evaluate it, like your saying. For instance, I might have an opinion on a math problem, but my answer is either right or wrong. For surgery, I would want to go with whatever has the highest chances of success are, and a layperson wouldn’t know that without researching studies, where the definitive answers usually lie.
Aside from the jeans comparison, does this particular issue come back to the “what is art” question? And who deems art “art”?
You said it was the worst guitar solo ever, not that it was not your favorite. There’s a big difference.
Yup.
We mean it the same, though. There’s no way we could actually know what the worst guitar solo ever was, because no one has ever heard every bad guitar solo. So when we say something is the worst ever, we mean it’s not our favorite (or our least favorite at the moment).
I would say that there are varying degrees of ability to critique.
Your degree is that you listen to and enjoy music, can play some and have a blog that lots of people read. That’s a higher degree than someone with no internet connection who hates all music and can play none.
However, if Lyle Lovett were to comment here that he thought Hiatt’s solo was excellent and explain in musical and aesthetic detail the reasons why…I think people, who may not want the song on their ipod, might at least appreciate what he had to say. Maybe even more than what you said, because he has a higher level of expertise.
But, until that happens, I’m with you.
Yes, I agree. Good explanation.
Though, I still might not trust Lyle Lovett, since I would think he was just saying that to be nice. :)
From the look on Lovett’s face when Hiatt finsihed the solo, I would think that also.
Ha ha! You’re still wrong and that guitar solo is still great.
(In my inexpert opinion.)
I’m truly glad that some of you like it. Who am I to say that you shouldn’t find pleasure in the worst guitar solo ever? :)
… but you are an expert on opinions right? Otherwise I don’t know what to think.
Aren’t we all.
1- You should be careful with superlatives. There are a lot of guitar solos, and you probably have heard less than one percent.
2- The audience whooped. Maybe “you just had to be there”.
3- The way you phrase something counts for something. There is a different between “I didn’t enjoy” and “possibly the worst ever”.
4- Strong opinions are overrated as a source of self esteem.
Life would be so dull if I had to be careful with superlatives.
I love my strong opinions and hate it when people don’t have any opinions.
I think Abraham needs to man up and apologize to his wife. I don’t care if you’re an expert or a novice, you should never NEVER criticize a pregnant lady… they’re crazy.
Any consumer has a right to criticize the end product. After all, things are produced to be consumers. However, non-experts don’t have the right to question motives or analyze what went wrong. As a content producer, that’s the only thing that pisses me off, because non-experts are usually completely wrong when they question whether we made a good faith effort or what in the process led to a flaw in the final product.
That’s a good differentiation.