Your opinion is Appreciated...

ThunderingMike

Ok. Now I know I do not belong on these boards, but I am really curious to know what you lads think of this situation:

Myself and a friend got into a fairly heated debate over whether or not our taste in music defines us as a person. He said that if you look at the music a person listens to, you can gather an accurate picture of what their personality is really like. You are able to assume using the information on their preferred genres, what they are like beneath the surface.

I argued that a person can like many types of music and drawing an accurate picture from a taste in music that can span Frank sinatra to the Dustbrothers is virtually impossible. You may get an idea of what a person is like, but no way in hell, could you hope to grasp what their real personalities are like.

I would like to know what you all think, and if a similar thread has been posted before, please re-post your thoughts???

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ThunderingMike Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment, With this regard their current turns away, And lose the name of action... Nows that's a sig.

Kali

I'd say youd get a pretty rough idea of the persons personality but an accurate enough one in terms of dress sense and fashion, but then again its only applicable for certain genres of music.

I mean I know ppl who range from mad drum n bass heads to extreme rock heads to more hippy type ppl and all dress accordingly. As far as im concerned I sit in the middle of those and dress somewhat averagely I guess (hoody/baggy jeans).
But no way could you guess those peoples personalities based on either their musical tastes (and therefore their fashion).

oops just noticed you didnt mention clothes at all... ah well i guess it might have been implied

Lolo

Having started loads of friendships off on the basis of shared taste in musc, I don't really think musical taste is much of an indication of personality at all... I know happy-go-lucky *******s who listen to the most depressing music imaginable, and certified depressives who only listen to easy listening and Saint Etienne. I used to think that broad taste in music indicates a general open minded-ness about life, but even that's been proved wrong to me. In fact, I find a lot of people with very eclectic tastes are vehemently closed-minded about any types of music they happen not to like, and this often extends into other areas of their lives.

I do find that I find it easy to get on with anyone who's passionate about music, even if it's a kind of music I hate. Does that have any bearing on this debate at all? Probably not. (I'm rambling now, aren't I?)

Trev M

I think it is a fairly sweeping statement to make , that the music people listen to defines the type of carachter they are. It is true to say that generally you can associate certain traits of people in relation to they're musical tastes....The strange thing is and I do not mean this disrespectfully is that when most people develop a "musical preference" it is because they have been lead that way by their peers and it is usually at a relatively young age...I know I was...anyway very few people really know who they are during their teenage years and are inclined to be very impressionable at this stage, so the conclusion that I would draw is that when you see all the Kids in the Limp Bis and Slipknot tee shirts I don't think it implies that they are agressive , noisey lunatics etc.. I think it just shows that they are part of the herd mentallity....as we all can be and is not a direct reflection on the type of people they are...this to me makes sense but I'm open to disagreement , I listen to all sorts too, "that why I'm so Open minded" ..only kidding..

Later - Trev

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otranome_mail@yahoo.com

Karl Hungus

I think, in my infinite wisdom, that humans are by nature are conformists.
They conform to startards that they feel most comfortable, so I would say, that in relation to this topic, that a style of music can give you a VAGUE idea about the person, but only that...

GreenHell

Music doesn't tell you jack about a person,unless ppl try to become like there music eg Goths.

WhiteWashMan

i always found in school that all the pretty bright kids, like myself, all listened to thrash metal.
of course, i dont think it applies anymore.
but that was waaaaay back when....

_CreeD_

I think music will give you some pointers about someone's personality, BUT, it is as dependant on your view of the music itself aswell. Any 2 people might like the one song, or genre, for different reasons. Naturally when you know that someone likes X song you will add the personality traits necessary to like it for the same reason you do to their profile.
Some people listen to the Cocteau Twins because they hate lyrics, some find it relaxing, some find Liz Frasier's voice thrilling...me I just think she has a really cute mouth, so there ya go.....

Karl Hungus

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by GREENHELL:
Music doesn't tell you jack about a person,unless ppl try to become like there music eg Goths.</font>

Thats a pretty dumb thing...
Many Goths are only goths in the first place because they like the style of dress, or they find they get on well with other goths...

SweetBirdOfTruth

it's down to the assumptions you make, the inferences you draw from the information made available to you. if i told you i like frank sinatra, tom waits and leonard cohen i'd expect you to think x of me, and maybe think i'd like david gray. but i'll add to the equation and tell you i abhor david gray. so now what do you know about me? how about i add to the picture and tell you i like kila and peadar o'riada too? and then addeded, say, watercress, the high llamas and , i dunno, sigur ros? what do you have then? about as much about me as you'd have if you knew my star-sign, or my taste in bks (but less than if you new my star sign ***and*** tatse in bks as well).

our taste in music does not define us. though there are many try to define themselves by the music they listen to. "i am hip and cool and trendy. look, i have the new radiohead album."