The case for being ignorant

by Tobias van Schneider
Published May 14, 2024

I am sure you know this feeling. You find a new book that you absolutely love. A new movie, a new TV series or even a new hobby such as cycling or designing. It can be anything and everything.

When you discover something you truly love, it's only natural that you want to dive deeper. And today, one of the first places many fans turn is online communities dedicated to analyzing, discussing and celebrating the object of their affection. You're already so much in love with this "new thing" yourself, you want to engage with other people who share a similar passion, and perhaps even find some validation of your feels.

At first glance, it seems like a dream. You can finally share your enthusiasm and connect with like minded people. You bond over in-jokes and fan theories. You finally found your people.

But there's a dark side to these communities too. While you might surf the initial high of your newfound shared obsession, this is also exactly what might start to taint your original love for the subject.

What started out with an almost childlike, honest and innocent love for something, now starts to to feel a little more performative. The more you wrap your identity into the community, the more you run the risk of having your personal takes picked apart and challenged. What once sparked joy can quickly become a source of self-doubt, toxic introspection and criticism over the most insignificant details.

I experienced this many times myself. I found a new movie I absolutely loved. Full of joy and energy I'd head to Reddit or other online communities, only to then learn why the movie is "officially terrible." The main character I thought was hilarious? Officially not funny. The plot I thought was unique and interesting? Not approved. And so the self-doubt starts. And I haven't even started engaging with anyone yet. It can only get worse from here, eventually leading me to revise my own initial judgement based on popular opinion.

Or I'd get into a hobby such as cycling. I start out loving it, just for the sake of doing it. Then I start connecting with the "cycling community" and my passion starts to fade. I experience the same happening with the design community and many other niches.

There's this tendency for hardcore online fans to develop an almost insular groupthink mentality where any deviation from the accepted narratives is ridiculed and pushed away. This can make it rather difficult for yourself to retain your individual relationship with the subject. After all, you're human and you feel safer within the group.

In the end, the initial wonder and fascination you had slowly fades as you battle your way through the internet arguments. Searching for validation, or even worse, doubting your own judgement and taste on something that is inherently subjective.

So by all means, indulge in what makes you happy. Enjoy your passions, share them with others and connect with like-minded people. But be cautious of allowing them to define and influence your own personal appreciation for that thing.

There's beauty in distance and naivety, even when it comes to your hobbies and things you appreciate. It's one of those qualities I appreciate in children, they see the world only through their eyes. Their innocent and almost 'ignorant' view of the world creates the wonderful sparkle in their eyes. Only as they grow older and are told what to say, how to behave and how to think — That's when they lose their childlike wonder.

In a way, that's also the entire back story behind mymind. The idea of keeping it all private is what makes it special and different. The moment you don't have to perform for someone else, you're just yourself. The moment you don't have the subconscious fear of justifying every decision, you're not just behaving different, you're simply yourself.

Be yourself.
Love what you love.
Enjoy things for what they are and what you see.

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