There’s a quality in me, and that I am sure exist in any form of human being; this intolerable agony if someone likes something that we do not like, just because we think we know better.

I was the type of person who speaks, and maybe often brags about what I do not like from something, to other people; while not reminding myself that I have also experienced hearing people mentioning what is wrong from what I liked, and that I have also hurt from being told so. I often am quiet (read: sulk) when I heard such comment, and sometimes I can be defensive about it, because that something is something I genuinely like.

Well, the first part of me in the previous paragraph belongs to a type of people, who maybe have a knowledge and awareness about something. They are trained to do the certain something from the fundamentals and maybe enough to have a strong opinion about it. Sometimes,they try so hard to apply it as hard as they are educated to do. Sometimes they can be unforgiving to the “less-knowledgeable” people, whom they think, are neglecting the values the educated people have been educated to hold, in trying to do what they do.

There are nothing wrong with people who do/like things because they like without awareness of theoretical matters; or people who try to do things harder because they’re trained to do it professionally. These two types are the same people who like to do the same things with the same motivation that is out of love, only with different execution, and different goal. The problem lies when these people gather and meet each other, do something together, and try to force their own values to each other.

I will give an example;

I came across a video in Youtube of someone performing an original composition that I truly like, that a lot of other people like. While read-browsing the comments section, I came across another Youtuber’s comment, whom I also respect for his beautiful compositions and arrangements, saying how he do not like the performance, how poor the chord variations is, how other people only like it because it’s fast and exciting.
I feel hurt, because I feel like he’s telling that this song doesn’t deserve the attention it’s having, that he is questioning the viewers’ taste; and it makes me question my taste, eventually makes me feel bad for liking it. Initially, I like the song and it makes me feel good and happy listening to it, but not after reading his comments.
Now I am rethinking my thoughts… why I should be guilty or less happy if someone else pointing what’s wrong about it?

It does not need to be music actually. Art and design (which I took much part in, despite my lack of knowledge; but thanks to this I met a lot of amazing artists and share a lot of things with them), writings (which most of my friends are doing fantastically, so proud of them), and fandom preferences (your series or pairings of choice). People suddenly decide what’s better for other people, and (direct or indirectly) force the others to follow each others’ values too. Most cases I found is in fandom preferences, that sometimes invites flame wars and ship bashing (being the two severe phenomenons that I secretly enjoy while munching my imaginary pop corns).

I am concerned seeing the issue of a creative work has to have a legitimate sense of art, to be approved as a fic or art with by some community. Take an example you want your fics stays with to the canon, does not have Mary Sues; you want your art and manga not to have the same face shots and you want them to have more movements and angles; you want your music not to have these boring C-F-G-C progress, and so on.

In my days knowing the internet and fandom, I came across many of cases like this, and I am ashamed to actually admit that I did not deal with them in a very mature way. But after taking a time for myself to be away from it, also reading other people’s musings, especially this brilliant essay about Mary Sue, I am inspired to say some things that I believe in.

Internet has many kinds of people, with many, many different taste, different backgrounds; having various intentions in doing creative process. You cannot read their mind to know others’ intentions and vice versa. You cannot force another person to do/hold what you believe in, and you also cannot laugh at them for doing and liking what they like. Not everything has to be “artistic” to be legitimated as “worth to be seen/heard/read”. Not everything should be “right” in a group of people’s qualifications to be accepted in internet. When someone is doing and liking something out of pure joy, there is no right for someone else to come and destroy that happiness. By forcing our values, or not stating our opinion in the right way, we might accidentally discourage someone from doing the creative process, and at the same time, maybe we’re killing a seed of a beautiful flower that is yet to grow.

I am not trying to put the blame on the artistically educated people, or fandom seniors who have more experience, and expect other people to try as hard as them to “be better.” On the contrary, I am applauding those who are sharing their knowledge and experience, trying to nurture their friends and juniors’ talents. We have a respect for them with knowledge who are trying to polish the rough diamonds so they can shine more brilliantly. We are also awed by their hard-work and efforts to be better than they were yesterday, and holding their own artistic values; which is, sadly, often translated by other people as “thinking too much” and “too serious”, and leading them into “forgetting the fun.” (Even though I am weary on my more serious friends’ way in self-criticizing and sometimes, self-attacking their products. I am not going to meddle on their, maybe, way to self-motivate themselves to grow further; but I want to point that it may discourage younger creative people to think that they are not worth it, and make the poor learners stop doing the creative process. [Sometimes I want to say, "Hey, don't let the others to be the victim of the bullets that you're aiming for yourself."])
These type of people may also have to be careful in their ways in sharing their knowledge so they are not emitting “arrogance,” or not to automatically label somebody else’s work to a stereotype that you think is “artistically low,” (example: Mary Sue, face-shot boring art, et cetera).

As a fellow human who likes creative process, I am encouraging these two types people to communicate, and encourage each other to find what each other lack, so they can grow together. It would have been better if the two types is not doing things too… “excessive” in speaking their opinions.

Internet is a place where there’s no hurdle for an inspired person to exhibit their works. This is a very healthy field for everyone to grow their crops… well, maybe those who know the theories of growing rice will sure be itchy seeing the other people planting rice not in the right way, but that is not the reason for them to go and stomp on their neighbor’s plants.

We don’t know who they are just from their avatar. We don’t have the reasons to force each other on our values. Don’t be offensive if you have something to say to the people who grow their rice in a different way from yours. And don’t be defensive or automatically hurt if you found someone doesn’t like what you like. It’s good for our head to filter what we’re going to say, and what (opinions) we received from others. Say what you think is right, and take what you think will benefit you.

We have our own opinion and people have any rights to think what they think, and of course, I encourage everyone to state their thoughts, especially if it can benefit the ones you’re giving your advice to. But I just want to say something and I will echo taxcha on this, when you believe you’re going to say something that you think is right, wise, or positive, you have to remember to state it in a positive attitude as well…