PREFERENTIALITY
What is Preferentiality?
Preferentiality signifies and symbolizes how we appreciate experience: do we dress in style or to make a social statement; do we want to express ourselves or be impressed by others; do we focus on finding the likeable or avoiding the unlikeable? "Different strokes for different folks!" nicely sums up the concept of preferentiality, also called style, taste or fashion. All of the props we use have conventional rather than natural meanings. Each of the pairs characterizing preferentiality are at the opposite ends of a parameter.
Style vs. Statement
Preferentiality refers to the rank ordering of choices, inclinations, or predelictions. The overall message of the preferences one has may be the desire for a stylish demeanor, or the wish to state an ideology by example. Nevertheless, although modern society places preference on a pedestal, it is wise to remember that there may be more important considerations in many situations than simply what you desire. The parameter that includes style and statement can be called specification.
Expression vs. Impression
In today’s world, the global population is being segmented into the consumers of culture and creators of culture. The creators of culture organize their lives around the desire to “express themselves” – the consumers of culture find their lives organized around their willingness to be “impressed by others”. However, even those who are creative are only so in limited areas – elsewhere they are also consumers. We are all cultural junkies now! The parameter that underlies expression and impression is indication.
Attraction vs. Aversion
What we like (find attractive) and dislike (find aversive) determines a very large proportion of our attitudes and behaviors towards the things, events, people, and ideas we encounter in everyday life. Critics of all kinds rationalize their likes and dislikes behind elaborate analysis, but this fools no one; they are just playing their favorites the same as everyone else does. Don’t exalt your preferences out of proportion. The parameter that involves attraction and aversion refers to affiliation. Atoms and molecules have the same propensity, and we call it valence.
References
