Just for fun: what are some things that everyone else loves but you are just not into?
Here are a few of mine!
Dogs. OK, I just lost half my readership! Here is my thing: if one of my friends has a dog, I will get to know and love that dog. But I don’t love dogs, all dogs, in that general “I’m a dog lover” sense. My family had a lovable dog when I was growing up, but I bonded more with the cat. As an adult, I have only had cats. When you come right down to it, I am a little bit afraid of dogs, or as one says nowadays, dog owners. I have been chased and nipped and bitten by dogs, including just a few months ago, on my own street. I really do think the quality of dog owners has taken a nosedive! If you have a dog that you can control well on city streets, even around other dogs and unpredictable children and traffic, and you clean up after your dog, congratulations, you are in the 1%!
I don’t think Kim will mind me sharing her selfie
Selfies. I take pictures of myself for the blog, but I try not to post traditional selfies. I get irritated by bloggers who post selfies regularly. I think blogging about oneself is fine; obviously, I do it! I also like fashion photos, home photos, vacation photos, cat photos, and more. What I dislike about selfies is that most takers of them have decided that they have a “best side” or a “best look” and they rarely deviate from it. You know that 3/4 view that is supposed to be slimming and seductive? Bleah! Sick of it! I can understand 14-year-olds vamping because they are new to it, but everyone else – no. Maybe these selfie takers want to create a fantasy in which their face is perfectly symmetrical or their cheekbones are sharp or their lips are always pouty. There is not much about beauty culture that I buy into, except those relentless reminders to “just be yourself.”
If you always post pictures of yourself from the same angle or on the same side, do you really dislike the way you look? Do you think we won’t like or respect you if you keep it real?
Going down south in the winter. I have never booked a “sun vacation” as many Canadians do during our long winters. A week in Cuba or the DR at an all-inclusive resort is the norm, or a Caribbean cruise. There are so many reasons I don’t do it. First, lounging around the pool all day has zero appeal to me. Then, I just don’t know how to deal with the wealth and class issues. Sure, local people are hired by the hotels and tourism industry, but at a resort, I wouldn’t see the country or the way people live. How appropriate is it to drive through villages and snap photos – is that poverty tourism, or is it gaining empathy for how people live? I know some people who go “down south” and who get to know and respect the cultures, while others just want to drink and party where it’s over 80 F. Maybe it all depends on one’s mindset before leaving home. If I went “down south” I would want to arrange a tour around archaeology, architecture and art.
If you have taken a sun vacation, how do you deal with those issues?
The other reasons we don’t do it are because we use up our vacation time seeing family each year, so the added time and expense of a winter get-away is not do-able (sour grapes?) and we hear about so many people who lose time from their vacations when their flights are delayed or cancelled by winter storms here.
There are loads more trends I’m not into. Smartphones at the dinner table. Manis and pedis. Tiny houses. SUVs. Plus, I think reading books is so over-rated.
Just kidding 🙂
Of course, there are some things everyone is into, including me:
- Food and fine dining – I look for food experiences wherever I go and happily collect memories of everything from complete meals to perfect little cups of coffee.
- Cider – Local brewed ciders are the new beer. Since I don’t much like beer – cider works for me!
- Decluttering – I’m on board. I function better in a visually peaceful space. I like the idea of knowing what I own, loving it, displaying it and using it. I also like the idea of re-homing things so others won’t have to buy them new.
- Technology – Yep. Half my life is digital. I only replace things if I still need the function, and the old one is kaput. I don’t automatically upgrade, and my personal tech is a little below the curve in age and features. I won’t be without it, though.
Would love to hear about the trends you’re not into!
An Exacting Life 
Hah, love this idea!
Firstly, I am into dogs (and cats)- I spend most of my weekends running with my dog and other people’s dogs and generally hanging out with dogs. I am not into slobbery drooling smelly dogs though!
I am not into sunny holidays that involve lounging by the pool…too hot and too boring.
High heels- ouch. I can’t walk fast and they make everything hurt. I don’t care if they (supposedly) make my calves look good.
Spa days- I have been on a few and whilst I like spending time with my friends I would rather spend the money on a proper massage and do something else to catch up with everyone.
Microwaves- we don’t own one. You can make popcorn in a pan, who knew?!
Late nights- I am definitely not into these as I feel awful the next day and really miss my sleep! (Late night is staying up past 9.30pm!)
Ooh I could go on and on…but I should stop!
Interested to see what everyone else isn’t in to 🙂
I am happy your dog gets lots of exercise! I make popcorn on the stovetop a couple of times a week. I have moved my bedtime back to no later than 10 (except Fri/Sat) and feel better for it.
St. Patrick’s Day – If you’re Catholic, or have Irish heritage – cool! Go out and celebrate. Since I fit neither category, I don’t feel like being a caricature of someone else’s culture.
Cinco de Mayo – Same basic reason as above
Halloween – I have an actual fear of being in a silly costume while trapped somewhere during a natural disaster.
Reptiles as pets – I’d rather cuddle up with something with both warmth and personality.
Sports fandom – I enjoy the occasional game, and I sometimes enjoy talking with a coworker about some great play during last night’s game, but I don’t decorate my apartment or work cubical with sports team symbols, and I don’t walk around town wearing a football jersey.
Hi Paul, I am wary of cultural appropriation, too. Last week I had tickets to a concert on March 17 and was dreading the St. Patrick’s Day drunk-up crowd. I personally have never owned a caged pet. I think hedgehogs are pretty cute, though. Your former pets were the best! I don’t follow any sports teams but I usually know what’s going on for Superbowl and the Stanley Cup.
Paleo, games like Candy Crush, and moms drinking wine.
Oh yeah! I will never, ever eat gluten free, low carb, no carb or paleo. I avoid conversations about it. I am fine with my wheat belly. Ha!
In todays fast changing world I think some trends are on their way out before I even know they exist!
Selfies remind me of the black and white photo booth strips we used to get as teenagers from the photo kiosk in Woolworths stores, only we did them innocently for fun and were not the sultry pouting look at me ‘aren’t I gorgeous’ selfies you see of young girls today.
My pet hate is seeing a family of four (mum, dad, and two kids) at a table in a cafe each one communicating on their mobile phones but not with each other.
The other is the I can’t possibbly even walk 200 yards down the street without a take out coffee or even worse a flask – what is this addiction?
Seen on the train today to Manchester- my headphones are way bigger than yours!!
I could go on – must be getting old I sound like my gran used to!!
The youth of today, eh? I remember the photo booth strips too. We used to mug it up for the camera and look silly but never tried to look glamorous or sexy. I am guilty of coffee addiction! I find it much less prevalent when I travel to the UK. People are more likely to go to a cafe and sit there and have a coffee. Far less takeout than here. Yes, big headphones are a thing again – let’s see if it continues now that more people are getting wireless ones…
I don’t drink coffee so I am probably biased and just wondering why anyone cannot wait to get to where they are going before getting a drink rather than taking it along on the journey with them – now if it is hot chocolate that is a different matter – you might even see me walking down the street with a cup in my hand one day!!
I’m not into e-life or iCulture. Excessive attention to computerized gadgetry is something I just don’t ‘get’. Kindles, Fitbits, Apple watches, iPhones, etc. No thanks.
I’m not into football (neither the American version nor soccer) or the hostile rabidity that accompanies its fandom.
I’m not into debt living. Everything I own is my own, with the exception of my house, which has a mortgage. So much of what’s considered “status symbols” or “milestones” is dependent on the acquisition of THINGS, but many people never really own anything because they are in debt to their eyeballs. Not me.
I’m not into shopping. (I make exceptions for bookstores.) I have zero interrst in so-called celebrities or their lives. I’m not into Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr or Pinterest or any other form of “wired” social media (except blogging, obviously – odd, that). I don’t do diets or exercise fads or makeup or anything that resembles The Latest Craze.
I *am* into sunshine, and don’t mind using time and money to get it via vacationing. (I’m self-employed, so the concept of paid vacation time or “losing” vacation days is one I’m pretty far removed from.) There are lots of ways to have fun in the sun that – for me – are inexpensive and include visiting family. Last year I visited my brother for a weekend in Florida (he lives in Tampa), and this summer I’m traveling to my home state and staying for four days at one of the lakes I grew up visiting regularly. My mother and my sister’s family will be joining me, and it’s bound to be hot and sunny there – ’twill be the season, and I’m looking forward to it. 🙂
I like pretty much all gadgets, technology and media, although I don’t have active accounts for Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest or Instagram. Near home, I mostly only shop for essentials, but I like shopping when I travel. I would enjoy doing “normal” things in the sun like visiting family. I did go to Disneyworld in Florida once – in August – so I escaped the warm weather at home for the heat and thunder showers of Kissimmee – it was fun! I also visited Washington DC for conferences a couple of times, both in June, and it was 38C – scorching for me – but I got to see some great museums and exhibits.
Fun list you made; the dog looks a lot like my dog I adopted from the shelter in November. I don’t take selfies, haven’t seen many attractive ones. I don’t vacay down in sunny spots because I live in one and like you, I don’t care to lounge by a pool.
Living in a warm and sunny climate would be such a different experience for me. Have you ever taken a cold vacation – skiing or anything?
Ha! I love this idea. And while I haven’t owned a dog since I was a kid, I would absolutely call myself a dog lover – I’m just too lazy to own one – it’s a LOT more work than a cat! So let’s see, things I’m just not into…
1) Fashion. I just can’t make myself care.
2) Smartphones. I did finally break down and get one, and it’s nice to have for emergencies, but I just can’t wrap my brain around the whole “attached to the phone” phenomenon.
3) Driving. I do it when I have to, but I really just hate it.
4) Chocolate Ice Cream. YUCK!
5) Earbuds! Why, God… WHY? Just be where you are, people!!!
I had no idea you liked dogs, Cat! I thought I was the only person who doesn’t like chocolate ice cream!
Oh my gosh, the selfies! I remember one picture of the Pope where he was surrounded by people with their backs to him busy taking selfies. They had a chance to see him and maybe catch his eye, make a connection, but they chose to add their 10,000th selfie to their Facebook pages. I don’t get it.
Smartphones: The first time my niece brought her boyfriend, later husband, home for Thanksgiving dinner, he spent the entire meal playing three games of Words with Friends simultaneously. My nieces, nephew and brother-in-law set their phones next to their plates so they can check them more easily when they ping. I’m a guest but I think it’s rude to the hosts who prepared the meal for them.
I have seen crowd photos like the Pope one you describe, I think with Hillary. I agree on the smartphones at the dinner table. I find someone will usually use their phone to share photos, and it derails from there!
I don’t like crafting (quilts, knitting, scrap books). I don’t like most “popular culture” so I have zero favorite television shows or celebrities. I don’t like most cocktails (wine, beer, maybe a margarita).
I have long since given up on any crafts I used to like. I particularly dislike machine sewing, though. I had three favourite TV shows in recent times, Game of Thrones and Girls (Lena Dunham) on DVD, and The Crown on Netflix. I am not immune to celebrity gossip. I seem to know what’s going on through osmosis – headlines on Facebook ads, or magazine covers at the library.
I’m ‘into’ selfies in the sense that it’s a photo I don’t have to pester someone to take, and then seem vain if I ask for them to retake it! But I don’t have a ‘face’ or ‘an angle’ and it’s (a lot) tongue in cheek! Seriously, it’s just a way to appease some people who used to say that I never posted travel pics with me in it. That’s right – I don’t need me + eiffel tower to know i visited it!
I don’t ‘do’ sun vacations as you describe, but do chose to visit the US or Europe in your summer and our winter. That being said, the last two American trips have been based on other events, and I’ve enjoyed the mild winter compared to the stinking hot Sydney! I am starting to think I prefer side or shoulder travel to fully summer or winter.
I do the same – I take pictures of myself, for the same reasons you mention, but avoid the selfie styling. I technically had one sun vacation – I spent a family Christmas in Arizona – and was stuck at an airport overnight due to a winter storm and lost a day of the vacation. Arizona was great and I would love to go back to see the desert in bloom, or a Frank Lloyd Wright house. Didn’t get to either the Hoover Dam or Grand Canyon.
I like this exercise 😉
Not into: games, puzzles, sports competitions, animals at home, tidiness, team sports, minimalism
Into: studying home decor, movies, plays, books, plants, gardening, interior painting, cleanliness,
yoga, weight training, coziness
Hi Tess, It seems like there aren’t many people with no pets. I like that you are into cleanliness but not tidiness!
We do have pets (others wanted them) and I’m the one who is (majority) caretaker!
You are very kind!!
Great post! It took me a moment to realize how geeky I am after reading your post 🙂 I’m not into popular things–I can’t drink coffee, never drink alcohol, if I need to make small talk or (horrors) someone want me to go shopping with them…those are things I really don’t do. And I definitely don’t do selfies (I think there are only two photos of myself on my entire Facebook account). On the other hand I love tech, can code websites all day, love to volunteer with my walking/genealogy/HAM radio clubs, love taking photos to post online of scenery and people, and love learning new things (lectures, classes, traveling to historical places, etc). Now that I think of it, most of my friends are unusual just like me so that is kind of cool!
Hi April, well, I love coffee! But not so much BR Blasts 🙂 All of your interests sounds perfectly normal to me. High geekery here, too!
Dogs: attacked by a dog as a child (I still have a scar on my face 50 years later). And dog
owners (unfortunately including a lot of our friends) who don’t understand that THEIR dog
ISN’T a special snowflake!
Decluttering : I’ve spent enough of my life living out of a backpack to like a bit of stuff around me now.
Microwaves: we actually have one that lives in the spare room and comes out for housesitters.
We’ve never used it ourselves.
Sport: I was the clumsy, nearsighted kid who was always picked last for any team.
Smartphones: Recently got one under duress, have used it about twice.
Wow, I could go on and on forever. And don’t I sound like a grumpy old woman?!
Grumpiness can thrive at all ages 🙂 I have never played team sports since my school days, where my sports experience was like yours, but I make up for it in individual fitness activities. I have the cheapest smartphone available and no data plan. I check it about twice a day for messages or texts!
Very interesting.
I have to agree with some of the previous comments.
St Patrick’s Day – Everyone seems to come out claiming their Irish heritage on this day, or has a little widget on their social media about it. Don’t see it for St David’s Day at the start of March, certainly don’t see it for St George’s Day (maybe because that has different connotations) and rarely for St Andrew’s Day. Annoying.
Driving, yes I travel in a car, but I’ve never wanted to drive and can’t believe how much it bothers people that I don’t drive.
Spa days, just no. I’m not a big holiday fan either.
Fine dining, I don’t like going to restaurants at all, a small cafe is fine but anything else I avoid.
Marie Kondo, saying I’m not a fan upsets people more than the not driving thing.
Jogging, we’re not supposed to call it jogging now either, it’s running. I don’t care that people like it and I don’t understand why, I care that the prom/road/park are closed for people to clog up the streets running together. If you want to run 26 miles then do it but why wait until 2000 other people are doing it at the same time? I clearly have deep issues about this.
You may (or may not) have deep issues about jogging/running (which is a thing I am into) but probably not as deep of the issues of the people who are bothered by your lack of love for Marie Kondo/driving! Is a lack of universal love for an activity threatening?!
Isn’t it funny how stating likes and dislikes can create such a strong reaction in some people? That was really the point of my post – I have interests that are not popular, and there are popular interests that are not for me, and everyone has their own personal combination. I find it funny that some people bond through shared interests and others bond through grumbling 🙂
I have no opinion about St. Patrick’s Day…in March I am more interested in Pi Day 🙂 You are ahead of the curve with driving. It is a declining trend and far fewer people will bother to learn to drive in the future. You are frugal and your home is uncluttered, so is it Marie Kondo’s style you dislike? I didn’t learn a lot from her book(s) but I did think the writing style was cute and charming. I have zero interest in running, but I really “get” how people would want to train for events, beat their own records, compete, and be part of a group of like-minded people.
I’m getting the impression that I just take against things that are popular!
I understand why people enjoy running, why they want to beat their personal best, set goals and things but I don’t understand why if you want to run 26 miles you don’t just do it. Why, for some people it needs to be seen to have been done rather than just done.
In terms of Marie Kondo, as a reformed hoarder I felt physically ill when I read her advice. The notion of thanking something for its service would have prevented me from ever tackling my clutter, as would facing all of one category of thing. Collecting together all of my clothing and working through it would have paralysed me. So again, I’m happy for anyone who can move from disorder to a more ordered place but it’s not for everyone and to try to explain that to those who have not dealt with the huge amounts of stuff I did is very difficult, as it came from an emotional, not a physical place.
I didn’t think I felt strongly about selfies but yesterday someone showed me a selfie they’d taken at a funeral.
YES to cider! I also don’t like beer so I was very pleased, last time I visited Canada, to find that there’s a growing cider scene there. I had some especially great local ciders when in Montreal (which makes sense, as cider has a strong French tradition).
I completely agree about dogs, too, I am not a dog person at all. I think dogs and beer are probably my biggest “not into it”. I didn’t see the point of sun vacations until I went on one last autumn and now I’m already planning the next one! I found having an excuse to do nothing but sit and read, go for walks, and hang out with Thomas absolutely blissful. I guess it’s different in Europe, as although countries like Greece have their obvious economic issues, there’s not such a stark difference in wealth and living standards as compared to Canada & the US and countries in Latin America or the Caribbean, and pretty much anywhere you go there’ll also be a ton of cultural/historic sites to visit so it’s not entirely about lazing around by a pool.
Yes, I was introduced to the Kir Breton on my one trip to Paris! I spent 3 weeks in Sussex two years ago when Rom’s mom wasn’t well. It was June, the weather was nice-ish, and we were in a tiny village with little to do but spend time together, hike and read books. Loved it – even without much sun!
This is a gorgeous post. I am not into all those things you’re not into either, plus computer games and reality television and sunbathing.
Thanks! I will add reality TV to my list!
Ha! Very fun post!
I am not at all into: nail painting in any form; reality TV; yoga; dogs; shopping; clothes.
I *am* into (recently): Snapchat!! (you may be appalled!) and a newly acquired Selfie habit (linked to Snapchat).
I don’t personally like poolside holidays but Mr D does. And it is almost a lifestyle in Australia so I do enjoy the sun. I don’t like the notion of wealthy tourism to third-world countries though (being waited on in resorts and visiting tourist villages.) We did that on our honeymoon in Fiji and it was weird!
Selfies on Snapchat! That amuses me greatly. It would be fun to use the filters to show funny pictures to J. Maybe I am just so unaccustomed to the sun that I don’t know what to do with myself in it 🙂
I am not an animal person at all – afraid of dogs (I was once bitten by one) and cats make me very nervous.
Have never taken a selfie in my life and simply do not understand the fascination – I also cannot understand those who rush in to a gallery or museum, take a quick photo, and then rush out – why do they even bother?
Own a cell phone but not a smart phone – can’t afford one and have absolutely no interest in owning one. Don’t play online games of any kind. Not into the latest and greatest of any tech stuff.
Never really been interested in “going south” but have to admit it’s become more appealing over these past couple of years – although I’d like to do something like a week at Disney World rather than sitting on a beach.
No High Heels
No microwave
No Kindle – have to be REAL BOOKS! 🙂
Would like to hear more about what you do like 🙂 Disney World is a fun trip for all ages , in my opinion. I liked seeing behind the scenes and thinking about how they create and operate things.
Trends I’m Not Into It: Game of Thrones, Selfies, Candy Crush, anything to do with the Kardashians or Kanye West or Drake,
I am a major GoT fan! I never got into Candy Crush and I don’t play any games regularly but I kind of like Bedazzled. Among the rich and/or famous set, I don’t like any reality stars – I would probably be more interested in the Obamas or Beyonce. But mostly I like celebrities with a good track record of work, like Helen Mirren or Emma Watson.