The Picture of a Snob

Etymologically rooted in the Latin phrase 'sine nobilitatae', a snob used to mean pretty much the opposite of what it means today - someone, at first a student, lacking noble origins. Not that nowadays' snobs literally belong to noble families. Their nobility is at most a metaphor of a self-given, yet unacknowledged, title comprising of identity symbols rather than resounding names and luxury goods.

If Balzac was right, and society, like nature, does turn humans into species, then the 'alternative' (subcultural, underground, artie, whatever) snob is just that (to distinguish it from the 'branded' snobs to be observed in all the hot spots). It's those mostly young pursuers of life's meaning who reject the 'system' and oppose mainstream, by the original, somewhat simple process of turning what they consider too widespread to matter into its negation.

As with all class differentiation, snobbery is a matter of taste (and speech?). Vintage decorative objects instead of gadgets (although Moroccan coffee tables or pick ups don't seem to exclude ultimate generation photo cameras, perfect for black and white shots), dim light installations, carnivore plants . Apparently second hand clothes to jeans and shirts (nonetheless sport shoes are to be kept), accessorized with the Israeli Scarf, the beanie and maybe an overall lack of sex differentiation in the outfit. Asymmetric haircuts. Organic food, basement clubs. Obscure titles of movies to blockbusters and cryptic philosophy readings to bestsellers. Backpack trips to remote places. Sometimes even a presumed mental history, to go too far. Necessarily combined with a creative activity, which can range from designing metal jewelry to improvising on the ukulele or exhibiting words (that's actually a good idea...) . And so on, variations occur to the smallest details, that's the whole point.

Still, it doesn't get wrong yet. Or not until this auto-stylization feeds itself in criticizing those who don't embrace the same refined choices and are therefore seen as less valuable. Not until all that does not fit the standards is unconditionally rejected, such as all American movies, or the once appreciated indie bands which sold-out. It's rather difficult to have an overly consistent personality, and a forced coherence may actually be a mask for in-authenticity. In which case, I guess you can position yourself as 'different' as long as you can back it up and admit to your 'guilty' likes (a Shakira song, chicken McNuggets) as well as dislikes (a cult film on Armenian troubadours in Medieval ages).

Back to Balzac, perhaps it's society that which inflicts this need to build up a status (and, in an unrelated post, can lead to 'status anxiety'). Unlike nature, society always has an opinion. A perceived valuable status, approved by a group, can mean safety, and visibility. I'm not going to pioneer excessive modesty here, but the hardest thing to be in a social environment: natural.
(photo: stencil by Banksy)