Is it bad to be an elitist? Or is it perfectly acceptable if you've got whatever it takes to back up your claim of superiority? What are you snobby about?

-- ann monroe (monroe@chorus.net), February 16, 2000

Answers

This is really bad, but when I go into art galleries, if I see artwork I don't think is that good I'll go around whispering comments (to my companions - if I'm alone I don't say these things out loud) about how I can paint better than that. The good side is that whenever this happens, I get a reminder that these people were at least motivated enough to get their work out into the public eye, so I'd better catch up.

-- ann monroe (monroe@chorus.net), February 16, 2000.

I am a complete snob about Concert/Corporate Sound and lighting... Since I did that type of work for a long time, I feel it often falls short of it's potential... when it is done by someone other than me.

-- Carl...sub lord of non fiction and loving life (csmeer@yahoo.com), February 22, 2000.

None of that looks like snobbery to me; you need to denigrate a whole genre or medium to qualify as a snob. Like, in my heart I know that Perl programming is a blot on humanity, even though in my head I can think of smart and creative people doing interesting things with Perl. Why they would choose to, that still baffles me. Are you still a snob if you admit to your bias?

-- Darius Bacon (darius@smop.com), February 23, 2000.

if you fit the definition of a snob and you admit that, you're still a snob, imo. i'd say that having high standards is a good thing (this designer's clothes are well-made and attractive, so i like to wear them), but being snobby for arbitrary reasons (this designer is so much more hip than that one and that makes me superior for wearing the hipper outfit), is a bit ridiculous. so, if you're stating your own preference i don't think that's snobby, but if you're saying that other people are inferior to you for having different preferences, it is.

-- ann monroe (nayad@inorbit.com), February 23, 2000.