'To Hell with the young'

[Dave2002]

I suppose it depends on how creatively they were initially encouraged to engage in said pursuits.

I think it depends on what the "encouragement" is. Many young people don't like being told what to do, and many are able to detect if they are being manipulated. I fear that sometimes such people object to what they feel as manipulation by parents and others rather more than the actual activity which is the subject of such encouragement. This can lead to curious effects later on, such as a greater ability than many others without any exposure would have, but a denial of any enjoyment in the activity - which might still be indulged in occasionally.

[Serial_Apologist]

I think it depends on what the "encouragement" is. Many young people don't like being told what to do, and many are able to detect if they are being manipulated. I fear that sometimes such people object to what they feel as manipulation by parents and others rather more than the actual activity which is the subject of such encouragement. This can lead to curious effects later on, such as a greater ability than many others without any exposure would have, but a denial of any enjoyment in the activity - which might still be indulged in occasionally.

Well, admittedly I may have been over-generalising from my mother's case, but there was plenty of documented evidence for the kind of showcasing of offspring that went on in middle class families back in the day for purposes of guaranteeing social prestige "in the community". RD Laing made the subject the title of one of his best-known books, "Sanity, Madness and The Family", and of course much literature and literary fiction has been devoted to the subject. It is possible that my mother's denial of any personal fulfilment in playing the piano was in effect "unfinished business" (as they say) with her no longer living nearests and dearests; and how these sins become re-visited on succeeding generations was amply demonstrated in my own lack of interest in taking up the instrument for decades, following the copious amounts of money invested in private teachers on my behalf until they gave up on me at the age of 16. Why, how and whence these drivers originate and self-perpetuate are all part of the web of confusion that makes up so much of the stuff of living, and the job of elucidating it all, and so please believe me when I say sincerely that I have no stick with which to wish to make an issue out of this.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Modern equivalent - I am aware of the relentless promotion of the achievements of one of the offspring of a family on facebook - this is hearsay, on good authority, because I don't do FB. One can well imagine the effect it might have on the siblings; also the child in question might well be thoroughly sick of being the centre of such attention.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

To Hell with David bloody Hurwitz!

Not to deny he has some knowledge of music and recordings, but he ruins it with his narrow critical attitudes, his smug, self-serving verbal showing-off …

I was listening to him discussing the new 55CD Furtwangler box set with Rob Cowan . It’s on the Presto website. The content of his diatribe is often perceptive, but the manner of his delivery is indeed smug. Very much full of his own importance, but if he hopes to persuade, he needs to rethink.

[Darkbloom]

I think people often take Hurwitz more seriously than he takes himself. There's something to offend everyone with him and he gleefully pokes fun at people he sees as stuffy and pretentious. Once you adjust to his sense of humour then I think you can separate the times when he's pulling your leg and when he's being serious.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I think people often take Hurwitz more seriously than he takes himself. There's something to offend everyone with him and he gleefully pokes fun at people he sees as stuffy and pretentious. Once you adjust to his sense of humour then I think you can separate the times when he's pulling your leg and when he's being serious.

I can accept that, but in a podcast lasting for well over an hour, his crassness become very wearing.

[Darkbloom]

I can accept that, but in a podcast lasting for well over an hour, his crassness become very wearing.

If you've ever seen the comedian Don Rickles you might find Hurwitz's act less grating, or at least more understandable. Rickles was an expert at the roast, knocking people down no matter who they were. I see Hurwitz as consciously in that tradition - the caustic wisecracking New Yorker. You might not care for it but (at least, in my opinion) that's what he's doing.