The Diminution of Delight


No, Thank You.
Do you have a friend who can absolutely ruin a movie or book you love by pointing out its flaws? Don't you hate that?

I recently found out I am that person for my friend Michele. I am feeling shame now.

We love what we love for our own reasons. I have found myself unbelievably affected by some pretty sentimental twaddle and not cared one iota. Sometimes we don't see the things that might draw us out of the moment. Sometimes we are willfully ignoring them. But either way, the infatuation with a piece of art often does not survive the pointing out of flaws by certain people. There is something about that critical third-party gaze that causes delight to withdraw. When that process occurs, it is often a fairly short slide to disillusionment.

I don't know why some people hold this power and others don't. I can read an article about Joss Whedon's flawed world-building and shrug. I still love Buffy. But I have had people in my life who probably could have killed my enjoyment in the series if I had let them.

I don't want to be that person for Michele or for anyone else. So I have stopped critiquing movies around her, because there is little enough wonder in the world. I don't want to be responsible for reducing it.
Posted: Thursday - July 07, 2005 at 07:33 AM         | |

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