The Great Iconoclast

It amazes me sometimes what a poor judge of my own tastes and opinions I am.

The most egregious example I can think of is my relationship to Starbucks. Whenever I have some studying or reading to get done or a conversation to have, I think to myself, You know, a great place to do this would be Starbucks. The atmosphere, the coffee...


Of course, five minutes or less at the actual Starbucks completely disabuses me of these romantic notions. The whirring of cappuccino machines, the hipsters, the loud preening of teenage baristas trying to be cool for the other teenage baristas--none of this is conducive to the kind of thing I feel I should want to do at Starbucks. And by the time I've figured this out, I've already purchased the right to sit in that not-so-comfy chair, so I will sit there out of spite. On my way out, I will vow, Never again. This only lasts until the next time I need to study, read, or converse, and then the cycle begins anew. Starbucks must have excellent branding because despite my experiences to the contrary, the image they've painted of themselves takes precedence in my mind to my variegated negative experiences there. 

And unfortunately, my deception about Starbucks is not an isolated occurrence.