Stop making fun of other people’s music choices
We’ve probably all done this. You’re sitting in the backseat of a friends car and they pop in a CD or play a song on their iPod that you don’t like.
Dude, seriously? Change the song. This song sucks.
I recently attended a Ruby conference up in Pittsburgh where Avdi Grimm spoke about sharing joy with others. A lot of the talk was geared towards pair programming and how working with others and sharing your experience as a programmer can help make you happier, but some of it was broad enough to apply to more than just programming.
An example he used was the scene from Garden State where Natalie Portman’s character lets Zach Braff’s character listen to a song she claims will “change your life”.
Since signing up for rdio, I’ve probably doubled the amount of music in my collection that I listen to often. A big reason for this is that I’m able to share music I like with others and they do the same with me. Artists, albums, songs I’ve never even heard of. Some of the music isn’t my type, but some of it surprises me.
Back to the car with your friend.
Maybe they popped in that CD or played that one song because they really wanted to share it with you. People find joy when they share their joy with others. I’m not saying you have to always appreciate something someone else chooses to share with you. Just give it a chance.
You’ve probably felt the same way about something in your life, whether it’s a song, a movie, a photo, a place… something that is special to you that you want to let someone else experience for themselves. Of course your hope is that they will find whatever it is to be just as special or evoke a similar emotion. The truth is that may not always happen, and that’s ok, but when you’re on the other side next time, give it a try…
You never know, it might just change your life.
