John Keats And Bob Dylan Essay, Research Paper

Why Judgments Matter, gives many examples of why value judgments are important

in our lives. I feel that value judgments are as equally important and it should

be evident why after briefly explaining Frith?s examples and my own as well.

In his first example, Mr. Frith gives insight to David Hare?s comment, ?In

the end, Keats was just better than Bob Dylan?. The media, without delay,

misjudged the true meaning of Hare?s statement and transposed it into a debate

of value. Although Mr. Frith did not agree with the media?s tactics, he did

agree with the ?value? debate. Mr. Frith Feels that value judgments

?organize social relations? in our life, and he further proves this point

using an example from popular music. Mr. Frith focuses on views in music

studies. Judgments about musicians are generally made in two ways. Firstly, is

the elevation of excitement with ?community?(joining of performers and their

audience). Secondly, aesthetic and ethical sub-tones during community. This

value placed upon the musicians is very important, this is possibly the deciding

factor in the performer?s career. If more fans come to a concert, then the

performer becomes more popular or valuable. The same goes for the messages sent

out by the performer during a performance. A message that is widely accepted and

adorned will attract more fans. I find that the critical analysis of value

judgments in our lives is of equal importance. I agree with Mr. Frith?s

findings and find them to be true in other life settings as well. As individuals

we use value judgments to prioritize important characteristics in our life,

which shape us into cultural individuals. We place a high judgment on the social

aspect of our culture. Some examples of this include; friendships, personal

appearances, and material items. In friendships, we place value judgment on

moral attributes set by others. It is these attributes that we judge to be

worthy or unworthy of our friendship. Those of similar moral values tend to find

each other in companionship. In personal appearances, we place value on what we

represent ourselves to be. Higher income families tend to pay more attention to

this value for it is a language in which is unspoken. Financial value of one?s

appearance and the personal value (self esteem) of one?s self tend to run

parallel. People place different values on the material items they posses. Two

families may bring the same income into a household, and posses some of the

similar materials. However, it is the value they place on their material items

that make them different. It is this difference that brings out the subjective

individuality. ?Evaluation is a key cultural activity?, according to Frith.

Without evaluation we would not be able to set some separation between each

other as individuals, eventually becoming numb to culture as we know it. I feel

it is imperative that we evaluate every aspect of our lives, in turn ensuring

the greatest personal happiness. How does one attain a favorite? Not by

suggestion of a higher authority, but by evaluation. Putting value on things and

making value judgments is what enables us to label what we like and what makes

us happy. Without it, we would not be happy.