07-22-2014, 04:35 PM
A simple parallel for me is food. If one were supervising others, one could easily answer important questions such as ''Have I made this fried egg properly?'' with just a glance, and a sniff to make sure the trainee had not added some alien ingredient. ''Is this a junket?'' in like manner could be judged, as to whether it had set or not, although a taste would be necessary to make quite sure.
Or cheeses. ''Is this a good Stilton?'' Now, there is form; there is texture also - a Stilton is not a hard cheese nor a soft one, firm, yet not as firm as a Cheddar, let's say. Then there is the all-important taste.
Is it necessary for the supervisor to like either cheese or junket? No. So he can say, in a rather dry way, that, yes this is done right, or not. But when he goes home, and tucks into the pickled garlic -- that is not just suitably made food, he enjoys it. Why? The question borders on the absurd. Our brains know why we like cheese, or garlic, or Goyas or poems. But our brains are ultra complicated, and rather secretive - they don't even let on why I have a liking for coffee, although there must be a reason, since otherwise, I wouldn't like it.
I have laboured the point quite enough. Mechanically, we can recognise that certain things tally with the requirements necessary for them to be those things. Likes and dislikes are something quite different. That is why it is said one cannot argue over taste. A poem for me needs a certain je ne sais quoi --and that's the thing--I don't know what. Q.E.D.
Or cheeses. ''Is this a good Stilton?'' Now, there is form; there is texture also - a Stilton is not a hard cheese nor a soft one, firm, yet not as firm as a Cheddar, let's say. Then there is the all-important taste.
Is it necessary for the supervisor to like either cheese or junket? No. So he can say, in a rather dry way, that, yes this is done right, or not. But when he goes home, and tucks into the pickled garlic -- that is not just suitably made food, he enjoys it. Why? The question borders on the absurd. Our brains know why we like cheese, or garlic, or Goyas or poems. But our brains are ultra complicated, and rather secretive - they don't even let on why I have a liking for coffee, although there must be a reason, since otherwise, I wouldn't like it.
I have laboured the point quite enough. Mechanically, we can recognise that certain things tally with the requirements necessary for them to be those things. Likes and dislikes are something quite different. That is why it is said one cannot argue over taste. A poem for me needs a certain je ne sais quoi --and that's the thing--I don't know what. Q.E.D.