Reply To: I got called a "bully" again, and was reminded of this show

[picstop]

There is no longer any drive for excellence in this world. Or if there is, it’s slowly fading into obscurity. People are, more and more, satisfied with “good enough” and worse yet, “it’s all amazing”. Where did they learn to accept that? Well, from childhood now, people are rewarded for mediocrity. No longer are the good or best rewarded while the less good and losers are encouraged to try harder. Instead, children are graded on curves and averages and competitions are a bunch of people sitting around the campfire singing kumbaya and are all handed medals for “participant”. Heaven forbid we insult some poor soul by calling him or her a loser, or implying it by calling the other kid the “winner”. They are all “winners”. So we end up with everyone thinking good and poor efforts are equally amazing as those produces by gifted souls. What a wonderful world is yet to come as output from a faux will be seen by all as equal to output from a future Picasso. And that’s why criticism is neither welcome nor viewed as constructive if it isn’t all simple pandering to the amazing mediocrity that the photo may be.

On another camera forum, someone started a thread along the lines of “if you are out and about taking photos for fun, and you see someone struggling, do you go up to them and offer advice or walk on by?”. If you think dealing with these people (aren’t I just the greatest types) are fun on photo forums, try them in person. Ask me for advice though, and I’ll try to help if I can and if I have questions, I too will seek help. Turn it into a “pat on the back” session though and again, I’ll say I need to hurry to meet someone.