Do you think people talk about what they hate too much?

[Klinsy]

So, here's a question on my mind, I been noticing that if anyone is going to talk about something, it's about something they hate, now, I'm not talking about those terrible tragedies where it's absolutely warranted, not at all, but over more  trivial stuff like movies and video games.

Top 10 worst lists are more common than 10 ten best lists in my experience, when someone wants to bring up a unpopular opinion, it's about how they think a popular work sucks and generally, there is a lot more hate than love in my view, but what about you?

Is all this negativity okay or do you have a problem with it?  Personally, I think it's better to spend time thinking about what you like instead of what you hate, makes life more enjoyable, ya know? I just want to see a balance between them.

[Osmium]

I think people like to talk about things they dislike when it's a subject they are passionate about, and it's a way of them showing what they disapprove of when what they like is handled a certain way.

Flaws are something that I think are also more apparent and faster to see on first impression to some and it's what they notice first. They are easier usually to initially discuss than positives. 

[Diogenes]

There's a certain amount of catharsis in ranting about something you hate, and with a sympathetic audience it can be a kind of bonding experience. So long as it isn't done obsessively I don't think it's a bad thing.

[Dizcrybe]

Some people definitely do, yeah. Honestly, it gets annoying more often than not. I'm probably guilty of this regardless.

[StaticMania]

People like to vent a lot, it can get annoying. I don't think it's a bad thing, as long as they're being constructive. Rants are pretty much the worst things that come out of this.

[Monkey Destruction Switch]

I won't deny that some people definitely go overboard with hatred, but as for there seeming to be more "Top 10 Worst" videos and lists than "Top 10 Best" and stuff like that, I think negative reviews are simply considered more interesting and entertaining than positive ones a lot of the time. Part of this is probably because they incite powerful and enjoyable emotions, such as amusement and anger; part of this is probably because, as ShroomZ noted, flaws are often easier to place and thus discuss than positives - perhaps because, in a way, "good" is the default, while "bad" is deviation from that norm. As a result, it's easier and often more interesting to go in-depth about a flaw than a positive point. That's certainly not to say this always has to be the case; positive reviews can be incredibly interesting if they go in depth, and sometimes it's very pleasant to listen to someone describe something they like and why it's so awesome to them. But alas, us humans are naturally drawn to negative things, often fascinated by what is bad more than what is good.

As for how much "media hatred" is OK, there is a point where you go too far, but I would say it at least partially depends on your attitude. Are you doing it with a sense of fun and not really taking yourself to seriously, or are you really upset and seriously unable to get over it? I'm not saying you can't be genuinely upset by a piece of entertainment media, but I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to cling to your hate and obsessively spread it around. Ranting and complaining should be an outlet for you to get your negative feelings about something out, not a way to keep feeding them or anything like that, if that makes sense. At some point, you have to "get over it"...stating your mind can be a step in that process, and should be used for that purpose rather than to just rile yourself and others up.

[Solly]

It does get annoying to see it everywhere, especially if you don't agree with it/think other people are being ridiculous, but I'm as guilty of it as anyone. I try to focus on talking about things I like, but sometimes the things I don't are just as important and relevant. 

 

6 hours ago, ShroomZ said:

I think people like to talk about things they dislike when it's a subject they are passionate about, and it's a way of them showing what they disapprove of when what they like is handled a certain way.

Also, this. It's especially true in politics, but it definitely extends to other topics, like hobbies and interests. Often, the people who are complaining are the ones who actually care the most. 

[MetalSkulkBane]

Well I prefer to think about stuff I like then hate (I never got the idea of hate clubs), buuuuut criticizing is a little more constructive.

When there is something I really like I can gosh about it "it was sooo good, so fun, so clever", but rarely I have something smart to say. Usually I try to find everything I don't like then to prove I'm objective. (Also, everything can be improved).

When something I don't like it's much easier to say what you didn't like and why (or at least you think that's the case).

Of course there are exceptions. Guy on youtube called Matthewmatosis makes great reviews/commentaries/dissections of video games, talking about good and the bad, but he's probably much smarter than me.

[Agie]

Even the things I like I can criticize. Mystery of Mamo? Good film, but it certainly was quite a flawed film, due to some odd issues. They involve spoilers, and this thread isn't about that film.

But things I hate? Trust me, I'm even more guilty of that sometimes; Cranky Food Friends was taken down and I still can't get over the fact that they altered Puyo Puyo Quest for it. Like, you wanna ride on the coattails of Candy Crush, you could have at least made your clone from the ground up. Or kept Puyo Puyo Quest as it was; it's not like it wasn't colorful already.

And I'd be lying if I said I didn't hate Sonic Riders, sometimes mentally pointing to games that did what it did, only better. Hell, even in the one instance where I agreed with one defense, that it's not a Mario Kart clone, I can't help but think it would've been better if they did just copy Mario Kart.

But I do like to talk about what I like every once in a while. Sadly, it seems I'm better at coming up with complaints than praises, even when I like something.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

No. I disagree completely. Criticism, is something that comes from a good place. People usually say lines like "Everybody's a Critic" and such when criticism isn't a bad thing. You need criticism to realize where you've gone wrong, and where you can improve. This isn't the same as someone saying "You suck". But if we didn't have criticism, or talking about how much we hate something, then we wouldn't have developers realizing there's room for improvement, We wouldn't have Uncharted 2 if all critics said Uncharted 1 was perfect, no questions asked. We wouldn't have Mario Galaxy if there wasn't so many criticisms towards the different mechanics found in Sunshine. Criticism in general has a healthy function, like T.O.M says.   

Obviously, you can go too far, and if you begin constantly criticizing someone, and nitpicking, then you'd go more into the haters area, rather than criticism. For example, IGN's Too Much Water comment, which I would definitely put towards nitpicking and hating more than actual valid criticism. 

Also, I don't know about you guys, but I tend to have a lot more fun talking about something I hated because it means I have a lot more passion, and more to talk about in terms of what could be improved. It's why I also like seeing worst of lists, because it's interesting to see how people fucked up, and to see if they improve. I find it more interesting to hear more in detail on why people see something as bad rather than just "This is good, this is also good, this is also excellent". 

[Danj86]

Yes.

There is a difference in being critical of something and just being a plain old grump. It's true that one can become passionate and bond through dislike, but couldn't that also be true the other way round?

Well...obviously yes, considering we flocked here out of a shared interest in a Blue Hedgehog. But alas...negativity does often win in the end. I remember making a "Good News Story" thread that was about a TV program and a place to share...well...good news stories. It only managed about below 5 posts before disappearing in the bowels of the forum. That being said, that could be the fault of society, rather than people pessimism. I mean, it is pretty rare to actually stumble across a good news story, you'd be better off actively searching for them, which would be inconvenient for a recreational message board post.

Hmm, but on the other hand, it could all depend on the topic. I also made a topic about naming your "Favourite Jokes" and that lasted years. It's not active now, but I remember being away from the boards for some time and eventually returning and seeing my thread still on the first page of topics.

So in the end, I kinda talked myself in and out of my original opinion...

Nah! I'm still a pessimist and I still feel that negativity will always be at the top of discussions. I do hate my pessimism and considering how I've been trying to reconfigure this train of thought, it can be very troubling to be around it constantly.

[574G]

Not everyone but some people do that because they're attention-whore, sadly.