In Praise of Snobbism.

Ayn Rand taught me that it is good to be a snob about things. Not necessarily in the "nose in the air" sense, but in the sense that you love something, and pursue the best in it. And you are upset when you see other people treat the thing without the respect it deserves. Howard Roark used to keep all his favorite sculptures in a private room rather than displaying them; he was afraid that people would simply look at them and not esteem them properly, and such disrespect would be an injustice to the worth of the sculpture. So he enjoyed them alone. He was a bit extreme. But nevertheless, I like being a snob about certain things. And it is a bit painful to watch other people esteem lightly things which should be accorded more respect.

Here are some things I am a current, or past, snob about...

1. I am a Bible translation snob. I won't go into what I think about different translations here. But I have opinions. Oh, do I have opinions.
2. I am a commentary snob too. Rare is the commentary that meets with my full approval.
3. I enjoy coffee, but I am not a coffee snob. I do not grow, roast, or even grind my own beans. Any ole bag off the shelf is ok with me. If there is something about this hot drink worth snobbing over, it is the choice of flavored creamer one uses.
4. I used to be a backpacking/biking/outdoor gear snob. This snobbism has faded since moving to SC.
5. I'm a hymn snob. You want to sing a Gaither? Help yourself to the church across the street.
6. I'm a bit of a grammar snob. Although some people are much more snobbish about this than I am. (I could have ended that sentence with "me" rather than "I am" and not lost much sleep)
7. Aubrey has just mentioned that she is a cheese snob. And this is true. She loves her havarti dill, fresh grated parmesan, and fresh mozzerella. And she has opinions about which soft cheese goes with what; one should not mix one's blue's with one's gorgonzola's. Although she is not above enjoying a common string cheese, if the mood is right.
8. I am not a chocolate snob. I welcome all chocolates to come as they are.
9. I am a wattage snob. Do any other couples have debates over what wattage bulb is appropriate for the living room lamp?

What are you a snob about?

Comments

RT said…
Ha! Great post--it cracked me up.

We definitely disagree about light bulbs. Jeremy is on an energy-saving kick and I've, sadly, gotten used to living in a dimly lit world. : )
abram.rampey said…
does never listening to the radio and always wanting to drive so that I don't have to listen to my friends' music make me a music snob? if so then yes I am.
Anonymous said…
Abram, I was going to suggest you were a music snob before you posted that. So yes, you have cemented your place as a music snob.

I also was going to add... last year I bought a Moleskine and tried to become a journal snob, but it didn't take.

And Rebecca, don't think of it as being "dim" think of it as "having atmosphere."
Ken said…
I suspect I'm a snob about something, though you took all the good ones. Snob!
two things:
1. I would like your opinions on Bible translations

B. all that cheese talk brought back memories of some great cheese fondue :) YUMMO

Sorry, 3 things:
Michael says I am a snow snob

no, 4: also, peaches- being from a big peach producing town and all
Anonymous said…
Agreeing with that last comment, I am definitely a snow snob. It's really not skiing unless you are in light, dry, Utah powder. Anything less in the snow report and you may as well learn to snowboard.

Marty
Banana said…
Bro, I guess Dave and I are sort of persnickety about grammar. I'm hesitant to call myself a snob b/c I have no desire to hoard good pieces of grammatical greatness and enjoy them in a room by myself. When I see bad grammar, I have no problem pointing it out and urging correction. :) But I don't claim to be perfect. Some things just don't bother me. Like sometimes, the car needs washed, and that's fine with me. Melanie Rampey, for one, wouldn't stand for that.

But your post reminds me of things that do jump off the page and beg to be fixed. Per our question of the day (yesterday) about "that" and "which," we think you should pay another visit to the last sentence of your first paragraph. "That" would restrict your "things" to only those requiring more respect. Just like fetching the lawn mower (among the many in the garage) THAT is broken.

But that's a new one for me. An old pet peeve of mine lies in your blurb about cheese. Aubrey's blues and gorgonzolas don't have any possessions (besides their out-of-place apostrophes), so they should not be portrayed as being possessive. Some CHEESES are BLUES and some are GORGONZOLAS.

On another note, your brother isn't a chocolate snob either, but I am! I have been ever since I started getting hand-delivered chocolates from my sister in Belgium....mmmm. Ever since I discovered that Dave does not appreciate the Belgian chocolate one bit more than a Hershey's kiss, I no longer allow him to have any of MY chocolate from Belgium....hmmphh.

We enjoyed your post (and we enjoy giving you a hard time.) --Hannah
Cheryl said…
Great post Jeff. I must confess to being a cheese snob and a "wattage" snob as well. Ken and I have debated the wattage in the dining room! But he'll eat whatever fancy cheeses I buy.

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