Do comparisons lead to false truths? (was RE: Guitar good, DJ's bad, etc (was LOOPING PHILOSOPHY))

[David Kirkdorffer <DKirkdorffer@exapps.com>]

This thread is getting quite philisphical and possibly instructive.

The question I want to ask is -- if 1 Billion people are "moved" by the
sound of an electric guitar, does that make the experience of being
"moved" by a violin felt in just 50 people less "moving" to these 50
people.  Briefly, is their experience any less "moving" than the
experence felt by the guitar fans?

If you say "No," then I think this is acknowledging how individual
emotional responses are not "measurably comparable" as say the weights
bassoons and hammond organs  :-)

If you say "Yes," then I don't know what you are measuring.  Please
explain this to me.

I feel the desire to compare A to B is compelling and oftentimes useful,
but ultimately denies both A and B the truths of their "Now" experience.
If I think to myself while I'm playing guitar and I'm "sailing" with my
muse, "I wonder if MY HERO sails 'higher' than me when (S)HE is
sailing?" doesn't that steal from MY 'sailing' experience?

I'm not a student of philosophy, and maybe this thread is wearing thin
now, but I suspect the philosphy of comparisons can dig us into some
complex territory.

david

> -----Original Message-----
> From: T.W. Hartnett [SMTP:hartnett.t@apple.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 1997 11:13 AM
> To:   Looper's Delight
> Subject:      Re: Guitar good, DJ's bad, etc (was LOOPING PHILOSOPHY)
> 
> 
> <snip>
>   
> I don't think anyone can argue with statements such as "I'd rather
> hear a 
> really good musician on one instrument than a really bad one on
> another". 
>  
> It might be more interesting to compare musicians at the top of the
> skill 
> spectrum, rather than at opposing ends.  
> 
> Travis