People who insist on “commercial grade” appliances in their $80,000 kitchen remodel, like 6 burner stoves that require special fireproof insulation to the walls because they weren’t meant to be shoved up against drywall, and full size sub zero refrigerators for a family of three, and then cook about four times a year for a small dinner party so they can prove to their friends they are gormet cooks.
I love the remodeling magazines but only for the pretty pictures. I have to roll my eyes at the quotes from the home owners about how they needed more space when their homes already had 1500sq ft per resident and how they love to cook and therefore would not be able to live if their kitchen didn’t look “professional” enough.
Do what you like but don’t try and justify yourself and your wants as true necesities.
I don’t find any particular subject pretentious, though some–like art of philosophy–lend themselves to pretension more easily than others. Unfortunately, I’m really into both of those subjects, and it requires wading through a lot of crap, often from the philosophers themselves (or philosophy students… :rolleyes:)
Nietzsche, god hate him, wrote one helluva pretentious book when he wrote The Birth of Tragedy. Interesting ideas shrouded by lofty, complicated symbolism. Even his superiors didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. His style later became more passionate, more raw and honest. He still named-dropped like a mo-fo but at least he was being real.
For me, what it comes down to is this: are you bothering with this because you have a genuine passion for it, or are you doing it to make yourself look good?
I love art and philosophy, but I love it in a very concrete way. I love how they both change the way I perceive the world. I feel they have a very pragmatic impact on my life. I am happier because of them.
When people use unnecessarily complicated vocabulary to describe rather unenlightened thoughts, I find that pretentious. I hate slogging through a bunch of elitest crap, reading it 8 million times to figure out the gist, and then realizing it’s not even that profound of a thought.
All that word clutter takes away from the fire of what you have to say. If I can’t read passion in the way you choose to express yourself, there’s no point.