Reviewing my reviews

Is it possible to know exactly why we like/dislike something or even someone? Are our individual views a "natural" result of our personal "biases, prejudices and ignorances" as one of my friends pointed out to me today? Is it a subjective personal opinion? Can we "choose" to like/dislike or "subscribe" to things in a deliberate manner?

Discussing my viewpoint of a movie I recently watched has made me realise something important: since I don't know what exactly makes me like/dislike things, I may need to explore a whole new way of "reviewing" things like movies, books and places I visit, etc.

What I mean is that, since I don't know what makes me like/dislike things, I can't analyse, opine, and say things like: "I liked/disliked because of this and that". I can only simply say I liked/disliked - without trying to explain why - and leave it at that.

In that sense, I might need to write my "reviews" by only saying I liked/disliked without giving any reasons. It's simply because, like the cliche, that "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder".

My epiphany is that there is no explanation at all why we like somethings and do not like others. Just like falling in love with a person. In all my 47 years, I have never understood why I like/love some people and not others.

Hence, it might be pragmatic to acknowledge the greatness of a product or service even though I personally don't like it. I would not have to like something in order to (independently?) appreciate it. I wish some critics at least put in a good word for products and services which they necessarily do not like as such products and services may be the fine and passionate work of experts in their respective fields - as my friend elaborated.

Maybe we might never understand why and how our personal opinions form with regard to human efforts and works of art - although another friend of mine said he knows why he likes certain things without knowing what inherent features make those things attractive by themselves.

Perhaps some things have intrinsic factors that make them appealing to some - and unpleasant for others. I guess I may never understand how Nature works. For instance, why do I like somethings and not others? I just simply don't know.

I don't feel that I need to think about a product too much because however much I think about it I am sure my "taste" of it will not change. However deeply I ponder upon and analyse a product, I might never know how my personal like/dislike about it is formed.

I think it's another mystery of Nature on how we are led to like/dislike things. We may only "blame" Nature because on an individual and personal level we don't - and even can't - choose what we like/dislike.

But I guess we can still acknowledge the greatness of a product even though we might personally not like it. That's two different things, right?

I used to be concerned about issues like this but from now on I have decided to make my peace with Nature and try not to go to the trouble of figuring out what makes me like/dislike things. To me it's a complete mystery why some things are attractive while others are not. Let it remain that way.