Monday, September 6, 2010

Shut Up and Play

If there's one thing that rankles me, it's being told what to do. It's particularly irksome when the someone doing the telling isn't someone I respect.

That said, respect for people is situational. If someone is an expert in a field, I'm a lot more likely to respect their opinions as it applies to that field.

That said, unlike many in western culture (or, at least as those higher up the food chain would like to believe), I don't believe that fame is an acceptable substitute for expertise. Just because you're good at playing a musical instrument or look good on the big screen, it doesn't mean you're suddenly an expert in other fields. You might be highly interested in that field, but, if you haven't truly invested yourself in earning expertise, I don't think you have a right to tell me how I should act in that context.

So, rather than railing at me about how I should be living my life to support your pet theories or projects, how about you just shut up and do what I paid to see you do. Just shut up and play.

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