# Things you're supposed to love but can only bring yourself to tolerate **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2018, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914 "2018-05-10T12:55:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/61 "2018-05-11T09:19:25Z")
Asparagus. People I know regard it as a delicacy. I regard it as tolerable, and I’ll eat it so nobody gets offended. But I’d be just as happy to skip it, and let someone who actually enjoys the stuff get my share. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/62 "2018-05-11T09:24:13Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > James Taylor and others of that ilk. Has there been a time in the past 40 years when James Taylor was in the “things you’re supposed to love” category? I’m seriously asking this. Because I loved _Sweet Baby James_ when it came out (still do, actually), but that was 1970. By the mid-70s even, I’d long since given up on him doing anything else nearly as good. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/63 "2018-05-11T09:53:12Z")
High-end hard liquors. Single-malt scotch and all that. It’s fine that there are folks that are aficionados of that sort of stuff, but my taste buds just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/64 "2018-05-11T10:07:20Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Watching sports. I have killed so many conversations this way. Someone asks me who my favorite sports team is, or if I saw the game last night, and when I say no, I don’t watch sports, there’s an awkward pause as the person who started the conversation tries to figure out where to go from here. This. People are constantly talking about sports at my workplace. I feel like an outcast. During March it’s all about “March Madness,” and people are filling out brackets. I couldn’t care less. Every morning they’ll be talking about the game that was on last night, and they give me awkward stares as if they’re thinking, “You don’t watch NCAA? That’s _weird_.” Right now everyone is talking about baseball. The last time I watched a baseball game was when I was in high school. Again, couldn’t care less. And then in the fall it’s football season. That’s the _worst_. Endless discussion about the draft, trades, etc. I have no idea what they’re even talking about. I just don’t get the attraction of watching sports. It is _incredibly_ boring to me. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/65 "2018-05-11T12:43:50Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Has there been a time in the past 40 years when James Taylor was in the “things you’re supposed to love” category? > > I’m seriously asking this. Because I loved _Sweet Baby James_ when it came out (still do, actually), but that was 1970. By the mid-70s even, I’d long since given up on him doing anything else nearly as good. Maybe not. But I live in Massachusetts so the Taylor presence is still felt. Livingston seems to always be inflicting himself at the various coffee houses, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/66 "2018-05-11T12:58:48Z")
Jazz, although to be fair I don’t tolerate it. I’ll turn off the radio or walk out of a restaurant if that is what they play. I find it actively objectionable ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/67 "2018-05-11T13:06:45Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I’ve never understood this criticism of sport. If you watch a movie or read a novel you also can’t influence and it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference in your life either. Yes, I do understand your point, but I’m generally not inundated all the time with people talking about movies or novels. I don’t see the communal TV always dialed into the “book” channel. I don’t have random people coming up to me asking about my favorite book or how the author should write about this topic or that plot device. There is only one book in my geographic area that comes close to such proselytizing; the Bible, and I would venture…that DOES make a BIG difference in those peoples lives. Even so, I would be and am equally annoyed if I was constantly subjected to bible themed conversations by everyone. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/68 "2018-05-11T13:32:40Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > Maybe not. But I live in Massachusetts so the Taylor presence is still felt. That would give you a different take on his popularity. It’s been a long time since I was anywhere near the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston. 😉 > [@](#): > > Livingston seems to always be inflicting himself at the various coffee houses, etc. Coffeehouses are the low minors of the music biz, so Livingston Taylor probably fits right in at that level. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/69 "2018-05-11T13:39:15Z")
> [@edwardcoast](#): > > You learn something from watching a movie, there is story, music, etc. Reading a novel has story, it is a literary work. Sports, it’s a group of guys chasing after a ball. You can’t compare the two, one is an intelligent activity while sports is a low brain function passive activity. You enjoy it, that’s fine, but don’t expect or force it on others, or treat them oddly because they don’t think setting fire to the campus when the team they bought tickers for which they claim as “their team” wins a game is just part of the fun. Meh… if you knew sports at all, you’d know that most of that is not true but I’d agree that the fanaticism is hard to tolerate. I love sports but can’t get into basketball. Fantasy Teams - who the fuck has time for this nonsense. Starbucks coffee? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/70 "2018-05-11T13:41:34Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Yes, it’s time for yet another edition of popular stuff I just don’t get because I’m special and interesting. > [@Green Bean](#): > > Gah. How many times are they going to do that thread? I realize I’m just a relatively newbie (and evidently a snowflake too, no less!), but I was unaware this thread had been done previously. I humbly apologize for my cluelessness and for offending your sensibilities. The rest of you should stop responding, otherwise you’re only going to encourage me to keep posting this kind of dreck. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/71 "2018-05-11T13:43:03Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m a 30-something suburban white woman so I’m supposed to be all about wine, and wine accessories, and obsessively thinking about when and where I’ll be having my next wine, and dreaming about being anywhere but here, drinking wine and posting about it on Facebook. But I got no love for the stuff. > > I go to plenty of parties where everyone else is drinking wine and talking about wine, and I’ll occasionally bring someone a bottle of wine that I let my nieces pick out based on their appreciation of the label, and one time I even drove my friends around Napa to taste wine all over. > > But I’m not going to drink it or have wine accessories around the house or post anything about it on Facebook. I can gag down a glass of wine if the situation really demands it (important toast, etc), but I’ve never bought wine – restaurant or store. It tastes vile to me, like rotten Kool-aid. Double dog triple hate for all liquor, though I do occasionally enjoy a really cold beer. My circle of 45yo+ chicks worship wine and tell me I just haven’t tasted the really good stuff (I have, it still sucks). They belong to the Women’s Wine Cult you speak of above; in fact, they belong to a club that ships them a case of “Carefully Curated Wines” every month – they await it as if it’s the Second Coming of Wine Jesus. I’m not claiming disbelief that other people can and do really enjoy wine, I just wish they could stop the whole “you just haven’t found the right wine yet!” refrain. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/72 "2018-05-11T13:43:04Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Yes, I do understand your point, but I’m generally not inundated all the time with people talking about movies or novels. I don’t see the communal TV always dialed into the “book” channel. I don’t have random people coming up to me asking about my favorite book or how the author should write about this topic or that plot device. > . ??? People discuss movies and TV shows constantly, as much if not more than sports. Books probably not so much… but if that’s your bag, join a book club! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/73 "2018-05-11T14:50:35Z")
> [@edwardcoast](#): > > …sports is a low brain function passive activity. This is a common, though patently wrong, assessment of most any activity by those who don’t understand it. When I watch the sports in which I am interested, I am quite mentally active. I am assessing the actions and technique of individual players as well as strategizing along with the coaches and comparing my conclusions with what they decide - on every play. I study the game in order to increase my knowledge and gain a better understanding. OTOH, even though I am a fan of sports, there are specific ones those that I do not enjoy. It’s not because they are “low brain activity” sports, it’s largely because I don’t understand them well enough to engage my brain. I mean, it’s not like movies such as “Caddyshack” impart great wisdom to the masses, and literature has caused it’s share of riots over the course of history. > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I just don’t get the attraction of watching sports. It is _incredibly_ boring to me. This, however, is a point of view that I completely get. I feel the exact same about opera. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/74 "2018-05-11T15:55:20Z")
Sushi. I can eat it. I certainly wouldn’t prefer to go hungry rather than do so. But it’s wasted on me. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/75 "2018-05-11T16:22:04Z")
Classic literature. Yes, I know it’s supposed to make me better as a person. But I read hundreds of pages per week at work. Reading classic literature after reading new legislation and regulations makes me want to stab something. Having conversations about our favorite books within a certain circle of friends (I use that term loosely) drives me nuts. “Oh, Tolstoy is my favorite author. So moving. So engaging. His work takes me to new worlds. And Orwell? Don’t get me started - such a discourse on modern life.” I’m torn during those conversations. I’m not sure if these people are full of shit and just trying to impress each other or if they’re actually pretentious dickholes who maybe ought to read other genres. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/76 "2018-05-11T16:49:56Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Barbecue. Barbecue is just tolerably-cooked meat with somebody’s version of ketchup on it. Served on styrofoam with a plastic fork. Overpriced. In a noisy place with bare tables and uncomfortable chairs. You can eliminate most of those downers by doing BBQ at home, and by using real plates and silverware. You can even make your own BBQ sauce, either by using one of the countless recipes on the internet, or inventing your own. I haven’t found a restaurant-served BBQ that made me want to go back for more, but my wife and I have a couple of fantastic recipes that we use to make BBQ at home from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/77 "2018-05-11T17:00:32Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > ??? People discuss movies and TV shows constantly, as much if not more than sports. Books probably not so much… but if that’s your bag, join a book club! Not in my realm so much. I don’t have random people coming up to me wanting to know about my favorite movie franchise or talking about why bobby sue should have married bubba on the lame tv show. For sure, if I had a constant flow of people talking to me about a soap opera and there were TV shows constantly on with analysis about that soap opera I would most certainly be as annoyed. It doesn’t happen like it does with sports, to me at least, so I don’t have that problem. (If) when you go to the gym, do you see the TVs latched onto a soap opera, entertainment analysis channel, or some sports event? My experience is that its always on a sports channel…often times the same game. There aren’t any “book” or “movie” bars…but there are millions of “sports” bars. Last night, I was working out: I didn’t get a single question or conversation about my favorite book or movie, no conversations about any literature at all. THis is what I got (no exageration): “So, do you like golf?” “Do you watch the Packers?” …nothing about anything else. Nothing about the weather, politics, books, movies, TV shows…nothing…just sports. Again, just to be clear…if I was constantly inundated about how much I appreciate some movie or book and that was ALL anyone wanted to talk to me about…I would be equally annoyed. It just doesn’t happen. It would be nice if I wanted to talk about sports that I could just join a ‘sports’ club like you suggest for a book club, but apparently, I don’t have to, they just assume im in the club already ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/78 "2018-05-11T17:13:59Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > And Orwell? Don’t get me started - such a discourse on modern life." Well…you like what you like of course and there is no right or wrong in such things but I think “animal farm” and “1984” really are wonderful. Not by “classic literature” standards but by any standards and very much relevant to the world today…sounds arsey and poncey but I think it is true. A problem for some, (and one that I suffer from as well with any art) is being _told_ I have to like something. It is almost like it sets up a mental block of resistance, It is often better if it sneaks up on you. Then you don’t feel bound or driven by anyone’s expectations and you can like it or not on its own merits. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/79 "2018-05-11T17:17:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’m the same. (Well, not the dating and being in the Army parts.) I’ve heard that some people just taste bitter things differently than others. I think there are even paper strips that can test for it; some people taste nothing from them, to others they’re very bitter. I’ve always wondered if that was the reason I don’t care for beer. I’m not a fan of dark chocolate, either. > > And I agree with you about lobsters, too. It is quite bitter, and I can always pick out the other flavours too - cinnamon, cloves, etc. I find beer tastes a little like pennies. And now I know if we ever go out for supper it will not be beer and lobster 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/80 "2018-05-11T17:34:04Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Sample conversations: > > Coworker: Who’s your favorite football team? > My stock answer: I have a soft spot for the Steelers. Pro tip: do _not_ say “the Red Socks”. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914.md?page=5)