Chris writes: > Not sure about the others on this thread -- but I've been talking about > appreciating things *as art* --- and since this can be done to anything that > anyone chooses (even a chunk of driftwood) -- "rarity" does not apply. > Stupidly, I didn't underline the 'these' below, or, better, replace it with 'my' so it would read "one common element behind all MY usages is: "rarity".
I can't imagine my appreciating a piece of driftwood in any 0f the senses I described (e.g. I appreciate the KINDNESS of someone who thought to give it to me.) But as I think about I CAN imagine possibly saying I appreciate, say, some uncommon quality in a piece of driftness that someone not familiar with draftwood would not register. For me, anyway, 'appreciate' would come to my mind only when I'm in the presence of apt rarity. > > > *************************** > > > Cheerskep wrote: > > Predictably, we each tend to use the word 'appreciate' in various ways. In > fact, each individual tends to do that. > > I know I have often used it with the sense of "perceiving and admiring > someone's skill." Experts are apt to do this, especially practitioners of the > activity on display -- "art", "sport", oratory, negotiation, etc. These are > people who may understand the intricate "technical" difficulties that the "artist" > has coped with "invisibly",or the sheer native gift required -- difficulties > (and requirements) the layman was likely unaware were difficulties at all. "W > ow," the expert may say, quietly, to himself. It's not the 'Wow!' of an > "aesthetic experience", but it does yield its own pleasure. > > History also yields a kind of "appreciation". I've done that kind of > appreciating when considering the unpromising, deprived background the artist (or, > say, a mathematician like Ramanujan) emerged from and soared above. For > example, when we understand the complex sophistication required for an artist's > pursuit, and we know the primitive community he was raised in, or we learn of > how little formal training he had as youth, we might say, "It's hard for most > people to appreciate the mountain he had to climb." > > Then there's the different kind of "appreciation" that is gratitude. "I > appreciate your generosity with these kids." > > They're quite different, these appreciations, and I know others may have > still different things in mind on occasion, but one common element behind all > these usages is: "rarity". > > > ************** AOL Search: Your one stop for directions, recipes and all other Holiday needs. Search Now. (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212792382x1200798498/aol?redir=http ://searchblog.aol.com/2008/11/04/happy-holidays-from -aol-search/?ncid=emlcntussear00000001)
