Walking to class on Thursday, I saw a pretty extraordinary sight: A line on the UA Mall that was ridiculously long, spanning the length of the Student Union Memorial Center. I couldn’t think what event would draw seemingly all of campus to congregate in one place.

Then another onlooker said, “Those idiots are lined up to see Dave Franco; that’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen.”

In case you don’t have class on Thursdays, or avoid anywhere that’s not a classroom at all costs, actors Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jerrod Carmichael came to campus to promote their new movie, “Neighbors.” While many tried to meet the actors, others were less than enthused about their visit. My Instagram feed was equal parts photos of people trying desperately to see the stars and those denouncing the entire event as beneath them with snide comments accompanying pictures of the crowd.

Why would people consciously spend time and energy talking about, posting about or even thinking about something they hate?

Why bother unless it’s something that truly has a negative effect on the world and is really worth our ire, like racism or sexism? When it comes to popular culture, complaining just isn’t worth it. Everyone has different opinions and likes and dislikes, but trying to capitalize on what you deem to be the inferiority of others is the wrong way to live. Being a hater doesn’t make you cool.

While denouncing anything popular can feel very hipster or James Dean-esque, I think we’d all be a lot happier if we focused on developing our own hobbies and passions.

I see this come up a lot, especially during football season. Every February, my Facebook is filled with pictures of Super Bowl parties. However, recently, people have been posting something else: Statuses feigning an arrogant ignorance of all things football and poking fun at the people who watch it.

You don’t like football? Great. You don’t care to watch the Super Bowl or even the commercials? More power to you. However, I’d much rather hear about what you do enjoy. People’s interests make them intriguing and unique. Knowing that you hate something doesn’t tell me much about you, but hearing about what you love does.

I’m the first one to admit that I have my fair share of things I despise. I’m not a fan of basketball and a million other different things that I don’t expect anyone to want to hear me complain about not liking. However, recently, I’ve been trying not to focus on what I dislike and instead spend more energy enjoying my interests. I think doing so has made me happier. I wasn’t in the line to meet Franco, but I have nothing against the people who were.

Disliking something is natural, but using your distaste as a means for elevating yourself above others is unfair. Smugly mocking those lined up to see Franco isn’t just negative; it’s rude. Instead of feeling superior to others because you hate or aren’t interested in something they love, try to improve yourself by developing a skill or passion of your own, engaging with what’s meaningful to you.

I’m not naive enough to think that everyone should love every movie, every food or every book. We’re all entitled to our individual interests and if we did all enjoy the same things, life would be bland and boring.

However, we should also remember that our interests do not make us superior to others, just unique unto ourselves. Our interests and abilities, not what we dislike, make us who we are.

— Brittany Rudolph is a sophomore studying English and art history. Follow her @DailyWildcat