Something that always bothers me in a lot of discussions, particularly video games, is this argument. Say somebody started a "Do you like X thread?", well I don't like X so I'll post just that, but then people who like X try to tell me I don't like it because it's popular and I want to be different, that's not why, if I dislike something it's because I have a good reason for it. It's not even just kiddies on forums that use this argument either, very respectable members on our own forum have used it many times, and my question is why? Why is the immediate response to somebody disliking something a majority likes almost always, "because it's popular".

Yeah I hate that fallacious argument, although sometimes it's applicable.

Welcome to Internet.

You don't like it because it's popular period.

Well, I personally don't like things because they are popular.

Because popularity makes everything worse - Look at *any* game series.

most people who hate on games, i mean actually hate them, hate them because there popular, people are going to respond to their post. I mean really if you hate it why are you talking about it anyways?

If you like it and it's popular, everyone who doesn't like it is a hipster.
If you like it and it's not popular, everyone who doesn't like it is a sheep.
If you don't like it and it's not popular, everyone who likes it is a hipster.
If you don't like it and it's popular, everyone who likes it is a sheep.

You must be http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/207/234/you-must-be-new-here-willy-wonka.jpg?1322247093 here...

Woah watch out, OP's hip meter is off the charts!!

Do you give good reasons why you don't like it? If not, people will assume you don't have any?

Maybe... I dunno, I think it's often hard to tell on the Internet, and how you phrase your opinion on something has a large effect on what people think of you.

A more interesting question is, why do you care ?

*shrug* Just lay back, talk when it's enjoyable to, and quit when you see you won't get through. Better than re-hashing what you've said over and over, hoping to find a way to rephrase things that'll fit someone's narrow window of attention.

I don't care if something is very popular. If it's deserving of my praise and actually good I will like it. Or vice versa.

You only hate that argument because it's popular.

At any rate, that's how people are. They do not change their opinions easily, and they tend to hold those opinions because they think they're right, which means that people who disagree don't just have a different opinion; they're wrong. Since someone obviously can't hold a dissenting opinion for any logical reason, they must dislike it because of something pointless like popularity.

Why, you're just jealous of its success, which you'll never have! /teenagefangirl

What do you mean you don't like X?

What bugs me are the people that throw game review scores around as if thats the be all to end all about a topic. Example "X got a 9 and Y only got a 7" So Y is total crap and you're a moron for playing it."

I don't hate things for them being popular. If something is popular it's usually because I hated it.

It basically boils down to this: those that like "X" literally cannot comprehend why someone would hate it (regardless of the reasons given) and so assume you're really just jealous in some way. Hence the "You just hate it because it's popular" response.

There is a similar phenomenon when expressing dislike for something that a vast majority also dislike. Say someone starts an "I can't stand A" thread. They give their reasons for hating "A", but the few diehard supporters of "A" say things like "You're only hating on 'A' because it's popular to hate it". These supporters then provide a list of reasons they support "A" and expect that to show you (and the world) that your reasons for hating "A" are invalid. Human beings are weird like that. Welcome to planet Earth.

I hate when I get told I only like something because its popular. No matter what you do, say, or think, there's always going to be someone trying to tell you why you do, say or think that. It's an irritating function some people seem to be born with.

There is nothing wrong with dislikin' "popular" things assuming...

1. You're not smug about it. There are a lot of "Unofficial X" threads. Some people go into those forums and act superior because they dislike the top because they have "finer tastes." Your hobbies are fun things you do in your spare time, they are not a badge of authority.

2. You've actually tried it. Self-explanatory.

3. You actually don't like it. Some people operate under the logic that "hating cool things makes me cool." It doesn't. People that go out of their way to be anti-conformist are annoying and ironically the most conformist people you will ever meet.

Ill sum of most of the internet's problems (and many of the world's problems too): close mindedness.

You just bypassed the autocensor.

Anyway, welcome to the internet.

people say i hate justin bieber because he's famous
there incorrect i had that prepubasic puke because he stole the beatles hair style and people call it the bieber cut

I can relate to the OP, especially when it comes to creepbook...er...I mean Facebook. I find people and creepbo...wait Facebook to be annoying. I dislike creep...damn, did it again... Facebook and just can't seem to grasp the appeal of it. But then again, I'm anti-social and have no use to use for creep...er..Facebook whatsoever.

I hear this all the time when I say I don't like MW3...

I don't like it because, better or worse you have to change mechanics eventually. I don't give a damn if its popular.

There are a few dynamics in play when it comes issues like this.

There are sheep who only try things because they are popular and echo popular opinion because they relish the security of the mob/consensus and life inside the box and find thinking for themselves unpleasant. These people are drawn to factional behavior (fanboy-ism, for example) and critical thinking often gives them headaches.

There are those who dislike (or feign dislike) and dismiss things out of hand because they are so popular. This way they can appear to have more intelligence and discerning taste than the common rabble. These people willfully ignore any merits the popular thing has because admitting it might be popular because it is good might threaten their delusions of superiority. They also often go out of their way to point out to fans of the popular how bad their taste is, and that they are hopeless philistines, in an attempt to convince themselves of their superior sensibilities.

There are those who will come to dislike things they previously liked because they have become "big". These people enjoy feeling like they are part of an elite enclave of people who found and enjoy something cool that other people weren't smart or discerning enough to discover and enjoy. When it goes mainstream, it spoils the illusion. Many of these people will end up attaching themselves to crappy art house cinema, bizarre indie music and games and anything else esoteric that the don't really enjoy to avoid the chance of liking something that might eventually become popular.

Then there are people who actually like or dislike things depending on their personal taste and don't really care what or why other likes or others think of what they like. These people are relatively rare and are often lumped into one of the above groups by members of another.