I must say I'm really enjoying this discussion, and seeing/agreeing
with points on the different sides of the different issues raised.
However, this one point:
On Apr 10, 2007, at 12:09 PM, David W. Fenton wrote:
But it is a cultural difference -- a difference between people who
live their lives on inflexible schedules (and leave no time for
anything else) and people who are less rigid about it.
doesn't make sense to me. I am a person with a pretty definitive
schedule, and a busy one, at that. Why should it follow, then, that
I have no time for anything else? Or more specifically, don't have
time to appreciate good aesthetic experiences? Just because I might
have to pass by the world-famous violinist in the subway because I
need to get to work on time in the morning?
And though I may not stop to listen, why does it automatically follow
that I didn't appreciate the beauty of the music? Perhaps as I
walked by I said to myself, "Wow, that is beautiful music-making. I
wish I could stop to hear more." Is that reaction less valid than
that of the person who thinks that AND stops? That's just unfair.
I went to a concert of one of my all-time favorites, Billy Joel, a
month or so ago. The drunk people in the row in front of me were
whooping, hollering, and dancing to the music. I stood and listened,
observed, and took it all in. Would a third party conclude that the
people in front of me had a better appreciation for Billy's music
than me, simply because they showed a more physical response?
And I really think that's what the major contribution of the article
was -- we should consider how our life choices about work have an
effect on our ability to experience and appreciate art and esthetics.
I can see the point about experiencing art, yes. But not
appreciating it. Just because I have more time in the evening to go
and seek good aesthetic experiences -- to fit them AROUND my
inflexible schedule -- doesn't change my level of appreciation for
those experiences, even the ones I don't have time for.
As I said above, just because I don't (or CAN'T) stop to listen to
the busker, doesn't mean I don't (or can't) appreciate his/her art.
Or in a different context: even though I must do my grocery shopping
at certain times, I still sing along with that really good song that
comes on over the speakers.
Perhaps that last sentence doesn't quite make the point the way I'd
like it to, but the point IS this: my appreciation of art or
aesthetics isn't dimmed by any time limits put on it by my schedule.
-- Mike
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