Acquired taste.

Scenario:

1) Smack your hand with a hammer (OUCH!)
2) Smack your hand with a hammer (OUCH!)
3) Smack your hand with a hammer (ouch!)
4) Smack your hand with a hammer (ouch)
5) Smack your hand with a hammer (ow)
6) Smack your hand with a hammer (mmph)
7) Smack your hand with a hammer (ooh)
8) Smack your hand with a hammer (wow!)
9) Smack your hand with a hammer (Yeah Baby!)

Seems kind of silly to think that one would go from a resounding "OUCH!" to an impassioned "Yeah Baby!"

Well, I mentioned to a co worker today that I had gone a while without any caffeine lately. He suggested that I have some coffee when we get back to the office. I informed him that I found coffee to be vile. To this he replied "It's an acquired taste."

I find this idea to the the epitome of human stupidity. I told him I could not fathom the thought process that leads people to "acquire" a taste for something. It seems to me that if you ingest something and it tastes bad to you that you should stop consuming it. He tried a number of approaches to prove me wrong such as "What about beer?" To which I responded that I don't drink and beer tastes bad anyway so I wouldn't drink it in any case. He asked about spicy foods and I told him the most I use is a dash of Tobasco on my omelet and a slice of pepper jack cheese on my sandwiches. Then he tried lemons which backfired because, though I do eat lemons, I have never in my life found them revolting. I've always enjoyed their taste.

It just boggles my mind that someone can consume something and find that it tastes gross and then make the conscious decision to try more of it and then more and then even more until the mind gives up on trying to repel you from the substance and convinces itself that the stuff tastes good.

Don't think me too closed minded though. If I try something and I don't like it then I'm prone to try it again a year or two later as I am aware that our tastes change naturally over time. I don't assume that because something is unpalatable to me once that it will forever be. I just don't see the logic in forcing yourself to keep consuming something vile in an attempt to "acquire" a liking for it's taste.