Perception of greatness

**Seraphim** · 10-30-2009, 02:01 PM

Interesting article about how we percieve things, or take the time to appreciate things.

**smokelaw1** · 10-30-2009, 02:50 PM

What a fantastic read! Thank you for sharing. Perhaps if Livi made a razor and put the words "Double Arrow" or even "Paksitan" on it...how many of would say more than "yeah, it's pretty good?" I am a straight razor shaver. I enjoy it, and I'm probably pretty good at it. I am not, yet, a master. Same with wine....if I had an Opus One in a $6 bottle....would I know more than "hey, that's a pretty good buy?" Now, make it a Scotch, a cigar, or a brandy, and I can probably tell that SOMETHING is up, more than meets the eye.
But GREATNESS? GENIUS? How likely am I to recognize it in areas that I don't consider myself expert? (including music...would I have stopped? I like to think so. Would I have recognized this greatness...I think it is hubris for me to pretend that I would.)

As an old philosphy major, I loved being reminded of some of those great discussions of beauty and art that I have read...I took a class in it, actually in undergrad, and I wish I knew then how much I would love to remember it all now...perhaps I would have kept my notes!

For those of you who have never closed your eyes and listend to Joshua Bell play...even if you are not a fan of classical music...give it a try. maybe ESPECIALLY if you are not a fan of classical music. You will be...at least for a while.

I'll be seeing him again in Boston November 27, and I can not wait. He is one of very, very few artists who have ever made me cry through music's beauty.

**Seraphim** · 10-30-2009, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by smokelaw1

What a fantastic read! Thank you for sharing. Perhaps if Livi made a razor and put the words "Double Arrow" or even "Paksitan" on it...how many of would say more than "yeah, it's pretty good?" I am a straight razor shaver. I enjoy it, and I'm probably pretty good at it. I am not, yet, a master. Same with wine....if I had an Opus One in a $6 bottle....would I know more than "hey, that's a pretty good buy?" Now, make it a Scotch, a cigar, or a brandy, and I can probably tell that SOMETHING is up, more than meets the eye.
But GREATNESS? GENIUS? How likely am I to recognize it in areas that I don't consider myself expert? (including music...would I have stopped? I like to think so. Would I have recognized this greatness...I think it is hubris for me to pretend that I would.)

As an old philosphy major, I loved being reminded of some of those great discussions of beauty and art that I have read...I took a class in it, actually in undergrad, and I wish I knew then how much I would love to remember it all now...perhaps I would have kept my notes!

For those of you who have never closed your eyes and listend to Joshua Bell play...even if you are not a fan of classical music...give it a try. maybe ESPECIALLY if you are not a fan of classical music. You will be...at least for a while.

I'll be seeing him again in Boston November 27, and I can not wait. He is one of very, very few artists who have ever made me cry through music's beauty.

Or vice versa, in regards to the GD/DAs?

If someone took a DA, and laser etched "Filly" on there, would the perception be of what a great shaver it was? But as a $10 razor, "it couldn't possibly be any good..."

As far as Albert Bell goes, I'm not shelling out $100 to see him. I'm waiting for the next time he plays the subway, caue I'm cheap like that!

**smokelaw1** · 10-30-2009, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Or vice versa, in regards to the GD/DAs?
If someone took a DA, and laser etched "Filly" on there, would the perception be of what a great shaver it was? But as a $10 razor, "it couldn't possibly be any good..."

Indeed. A cruel joke that has been played on new members of another community I used to be heavily invovled in (cigars) was to put the band of a VERY nice (Limited Edition Cuban, etc) cigar on a similalry sized/shaped/colored cheap-o, and watch them be WOWED by the "beast cigar they've EVER smoked!"

Originally Posted by Seraphim

As far as Albert Bell goes, I'm not shelling out $100 to see him. I'm waiting for the next time he plays the subway, caue I'm cheap like that!

I wouldn't pay that either!! For JOSHUA Bell, however, I'd pay considerably more(sorry, just being a bit of a jerk.)

**Seraphim** · 10-30-2009, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by smokelaw1

I wouldn't pay that either!! For JOSHUA Bell, however, I'd pay considerably more(sorry, just being a bit of a jerk.)

I've been had!

Sorry, I didn't pay attention to the first name, as I'm no music afficianado.

**matt321** · 10-30-2009, 05:51 PM

The title, "Pearls Before Breakfast" comes from this I think:

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

I'm not sure that's being fair to these worker stiffs. They can't just stop and smell the roses you know.

I'm familiar with the Chaconne. Very emotional J.S.Bach solo piece. Segovia played it on guitar.
YouTube - Andres Segovia Plays Bach Chaconne (Part 1)

**Bruno** · 11-02-2009, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Seraphim

If someone took a DA, and laser etched "Filly" on there, would the perception be of what a great shaver it was? But as a $10 razor, "it couldn't possibly be any good..."

Can't speak about the DAs because I never had any of those, but the 9$ wapienicas were (are) amazing, and according to Iwan, they shaved better than his Livi Takeda and other big buck expensive blades.

**Seraphim** · 11-02-2009, 03:11 PM

In related news:

Many years back, my brother went through a phase where he wanted to learn how to play a bunch of different kinds of musical instruments: guitar, saxaphone, I don't remember what else....and then he remembered that our father had a pair of violins up in the attic from when our Dad had taken violin lessons on back when he was a kid out in Ohio. So, my brother asks our Dad if he can get them tuned up, and whatnot to get them back in useable condition. They had not been played in ages upon ages, unless you want to count when my brother and I played with them a couple of times when we were like 10 years old pretending to be backwoods fiddlers, the Charlie Daniels band or something.

So, my brother takes the two violins down to some music place in Harvard Square, asking to get them re-strung or whatever needed to get back in playing shape.

Well, it turns out, that one of the violin bows was a Smarmikov (OK, not the real name), but it was of some sort of make of reknown, and turned out to be worth $7,000!

**livingontheedge** · 10-30-2009, 02:56 PM

A local TV station did the same test here in Ottawa two years ago, one of the greatest musicians in the world playing her Strad on the street with the same results more or less.

**treydampier** · 10-30-2009, 06:32 PM

Thats really good reading and brings an interesting point that I learned early with straights. I tell new shavers, it doesn't matter what the name is, only how it shaves.
I had a roommate in college who played the Chaconne piece once for me on his electronic classical guitar. I have never searched for others who played it.
Thanks for posting this, it was very educational. The world would be better if more people knew of Bach, Bethoven, Brahms or Mozart.

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