Inspired by the favourite films thread - I realised I like the film Memento because it really struck a chord with something I was thinking about at the time I was watching it. It seemed to 'fit' with particular ideas I had that I very much doubt its makers were 'actually' intending to express.

Something that became clear to me quite some time ago is that 'liking' something is actually an incredibly complicated process.

Its impossible to separate your particular life history, present brain processes and expectations from your engagment with something like a film or album. There is no way of separating out the individual things you like about something from the things you remember liking in the past that it reminds you of, or the particular mood you're in at the time, in a way that belies the notion that anything has 'content' as such, let alone any inherent value.

For instance, I'm fully aware that when seeing a band live, the most important thing for me is what mood I'm in at the time.

I don't like being sentimental, or having 'favourite' things, partially because of this. I can't even begin to make top five lists of stuff without lying.

Taking music as an obvious example, does anyone else find they really like certain things when they're in certain moods, but totally not in others? Is there any one song or album that's guaranteed to make you happy and that you never get bored of? If not, do you really 'like' anything in any unqualified way at all?