# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/81 "2018-05-11T17:49:40Z")
I’m supposed to love watching my kids play sports. I tolerated it. At best. I wanted to gouge my eyes out. Ditto on people. As they ruin everything, but they are everywhere, I must tolerate them. **Sports and competition** : I love when people hate on things that are part of the human condition. Watching theatre/shows, sports, etc: These are inherent components of who we are (as a group) and how we got here. And the snobbery has to stop. People deride how sports are ‘‘made up’’ and hate how people get sooo into them, but turn around and salivate over the word Jedi, and spend money on paraphernalia from movies (as just an example). I tolerate people who are into fiction, fictional movies, etc. And while on the surface my friends think I root for the Piggers, I really don’t care, but I tolerate talk and I tolerate their excitement. We’re humans. We do things. As groups. And we battled our way here. Yay art. Yay sports. Let’s all tolerate some things. We ain’t gotta love them. . ---
**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, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/82 "2018-05-11T18:08:10Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > 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. That’s fair. I probably should’ve said I tolerate people who speak smugly about books (not directed at you or anyone in this thread by any stretch of the imagination) or anything else while trying not to let them hear the grinding of my teeth. I think I just hate smug people. Which probably holds true for most others as well. Except the smug people. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/83 "2018-05-11T18:22:03Z")
Cheese. For some reason cheese is the default topping on everything. I would starve before I would eat it (yes, I have come pretty close to doing just that more than once). Social media (except for this place, of course). _Hamilton_. I don’t care how clever the lyrics are, the sound / cadence of hip hop makes me homicidal. Oh wait, I’m supposed to list things I can tolerate. Um. . . . Peeps. Not good but for some reason I feel obligated to eat at least one around Easter. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/84 "2018-05-11T18:23:16Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > **Sports and competition** : I love when people hate on things that are part of the human condition. Watching theatre/shows, sports, etc: These are inherent components of who we are (as a group) and how we got here. And the snobbery has to stop. People deride how sports are ‘‘made up’’ and hate how people get sooo into them, but turn around and salivate over the word Jedi, and spend money on paraphernalia from movies (as just an example). I tolerate people who are into fiction, fictional movies, etc. And while on the surface my friends think I root for the Piggers, I really don’t care, but I tolerate talk and I tolerate their excitement. Hear, hear! I am also fascinated by people who say people don’t constantly talk about movies. How have they avoided the almost constant talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (of which I don’t care for that much). Just about everyone is asking or talking about the Avengers: Infinity War movie. And around Star Wars movie time (of which I am a fan), people constantly were talking about that. It’s just as bad for popular TV shows. Every Monday after a Game of Thrones Sunday that’s all people want to talk about. Sports are generally a communal activity which has the added feature of tapping into our tribal identities. In some respects that can get people to have a bit more pride in the cities in which they reside. I will also point out that sports, at some level, tends to transcend differences in politics more than anything else I’ve ever seen - I can discuss how a team is doing with a conservative or a liberal (until we get to kneeling during the anthem, I guess). For what I am supposed to love but don’t: classical music. I find it utterly dull, but am constantly asked by my young urban professional friend group to attend the Symphony. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/85 "2018-05-11T18:30:49Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > 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. This times a thousand. In fact I grow my own BBQ in the side garden. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/86 "2018-05-11T18:35:42Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > 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. I don’t have a smoker (nor the room for one), so it would probably be somewhat difficult to get the same taste at home. ---
**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, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/87 "2018-05-11T19:05:21Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > 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 ??? …but you’re at the gym, that’s about as close to a “sports club” as you can get. ---
**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, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/88 "2018-05-11T19:08:14Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > 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. > This, however, is a point of view that I completely get. I feel the exact same about opera. Throwing in a sidenote: I got into playing with track cars last summer. I’ve been a “real” athlete all my life and regarded racing as a non-sport and rather unskilled redneck pursuit. Nope, it’s a “holy shit, this is complicated” sport. Now, I’m a track amateur and it may be different for experienced drivers, but I get such a strong adrenaline rush my muscles ache as they did after a high stakes basketball game or 400 meter relay contest. Track driving demands 100% of my concentration as nothing else does, which is good for my naturally slothful and distractable grey matter. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/89 "2018-05-11T19:10:29Z")
Bacon. I can tolerate bacon bits in a salad, or bacon on a sandwich. But I don’t understand the obsession over bacon. ---
**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, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/90 "2018-05-11T19:14:29Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > That’s fair. I probably should’ve said I tolerate people who speak smugly about books (not directed at you or anyone in this thread by any stretch of the imagination) or anything else while trying not to let them hear the grinding of my teeth. I think I just hate smug people. Which probably holds true for most others as well. Except the smug people. 🙂 I’m a literature professor and there are a lot of classics that are truly awful. I’m teaching early AmLit this summer as a favor for a friend; it’s my least favorite lit era and I’ll be gritting my teeth the whole semester. ---
**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, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/91 "2018-05-11T19:15:24Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > ??? …but you’re at the gym, that’s about as close to a “sports club” as you can get. Not sure what that actually means. Because I loathe sports, I’m not supposed to go the gym? A gym is very much NOT a sports club. If it were a sports club I wouldn’t feel welcome of be there. Doing squats doesn’t automatically equate that I care about the next years line up. Another data point that books movies and tv shows aren’t a good comparison for sports interest: My local news does NOT dedicate a significant amount of their time to “books, movies and tv shows”. I would gladly prefer the Sports department and sports segment replaced with a Science department and a Science segment. ---
**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, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/92 "2018-05-11T19:15:27Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I don’t have a smoker (nor the room for one), so it would probably be somewhat difficult to get the same taste at home. If you’ve got an ordinary grill (gas or charcoal), you’re good to go; [I do something like this all the time,](https://www.smoking-meat.com/how-to-make-a-foil-woodchip-pack) even when I’m not making classic American-style BBQ. Wood chips can be found in most grocery stores, near where other grilling supplies are stocked, and you can get whatever kind suits you: hickory, mesquite, applewood, cherrywood, and others. Just keep a water squirt bottle on hand in case the packet starts putting out a flame instead of smoke. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/93 "2018-05-11T19:42:08Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Another data point that books movies and tv shows aren’t a good comparison for sports interest: My local news does NOT dedicate a significant amount of their time to “books, movies and tv shows”. > > I would gladly prefer the Sports department and sports segment replaced with a Science department and a Science segment. As I pointed out, seeing as how sports is a communal tribal activity that, for its followers tends to produce civic pride, it makes a lot of sense for it to be on local news. You’ll note national news generally doesn’t care to discuss sports - because it generally doesn’t have those communal tribal local pride aspects aside from things like the Olympics (which at times national news indeed may cover). ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/94 "2018-05-11T22:42:21Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > 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. And on that note, you might as well not serve me your $$$ a bottle Chateauneuf du whatever. It’s not that I don’t like it. I just can’t tell the difference between that and Two-Buck Chuck. (I guess make that Three-Buck Chuck. Inflation.) No palate, apparently. I don’t even think you were supposed to open that bottle, I think you were supposed to pass it down to your eldest son. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/95 "2018-05-11T22:43:21Z")
Many of mine have been mentioned, but I don’t think this one has been: Salmon. Folks are amazed that I don’t care for it. I hesitate to admit it because I’m instantly bombarded with recipes and cooking tips. Leave me alone with the salmon, people. More for you. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/96 "2018-05-11T22:53:24Z")
Gaming. As in video gaming. Never got the bug, my hand/eye coordination just doesn’t work that way. I am not tech-y. I’d rather play scrabble or do a crossword. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/97 "2018-05-12T00:30:19Z")
Wine. In my case I got sick on it once, at an early age, and that ruined it for me forever. I can and have drank it many times over the years but the first sip is always an instant flashback to that miserable experience. The only wines I have enjoyed were home made super sweet (and high alcohol) “dessert” wines but one glass was plenty. Oddly, in my misspent youth, I got sick on beer numerous times and that didn’t limit my future consumption at all. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/98 "2018-05-12T01:30:55Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Gaming. As in video gaming. Never got the bug, my hand/eye coordination just doesn’t work that way. I am not tech-y. I’d rather play scrabble or do a crossword. Do you really fit the demographic of “people who are typically in to gaming”??? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/99 "2018-05-12T01:50:19Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > Fantasy Teams - who the fuck has time for this nonsense. Dave Barry said, “If you were managing a fantasy herd of elk, they’d place you in a straitjacket and squirt lithium down your throat with a turkey baster.” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914/100 "2018-05-12T02:04:04Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Do you really fit the demographic of “people who are typically in to gaming”??? I know a bunch folks who play them. But, probably not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youre-supposed-to-love-but-can-only-bring-yourself-to-tolerate/813914.md?page=6)