Reason I call it functional is that it can immediately let you explain how for instance, riding a roller coaster can be exciting for one person, who feels safe with it and wants that thrill, but NOT entertaining for another person who maybe would prefer to curl up with a good book.
There are actually two abstractions involved: controlling mood, and feeling safe.
Defining mood is another subject, where I like description--a constellation of emotions. Though can be rather simple, at times.
Like if you want to laugh? You can deliberately go watch a funny movie, and if you do NOT want to laugh, why would you bother? And some folks can go watch a movie they expect to make them cry.
Here's a tweet that talks that as well.
But also if you are in the mood for a quiet evening with friends in a warm and inviting surrounding taken care of by attentive strangers who will bring you food, then a nice restaurant can fit the bill, and bill you accordingly as well. Why I chuckle at people who wonder why you'd pay so much more for ambiance.Great thing about entertainment is it caters to you. Reality is what can scare you when you don't want. Entertainment does when you do.— James Harris (@jstevh) March 15, 2017
We pay one way or another for mood with any entertainment. Because there is work involved for those providing.
Like you want to be a great host? You better work! Your guests will know the difference.
Ever been to a party where suddenly you just lose the mood or never even feel it? Best to just go ahead and leave or DRAG through the evening. I'm the go ahead and...I'm the liven up the party type.
That we can try to buy a mood is a lot about the business of entertainment.
People who don't bother? Probably have more boring lives which may fit THEIR mood. You know like that person who never goes to restaurants, never goes to movies, never watches movies and never reads books or watches anything really, but is fine with it.
That person is NOT me. I love my entertainment, and LOTS of it.
Of course such a person could have a hobby. But then also probably would find money spent with it at some level. And have talked money elsewhere, functionally.
We've covered a TON of territory with a functional definition where examples are not meant to convince! The examples help to elucidate to comprehend the relevance of the abstractions.
Notice, if you just go, a ha! Then you don't need any of those examples, as just getting entertainment is a way people use to control mood safely, as I change it up a bit, would do it for you.
If so, good for you! I like working through functional examples to understand the abstractions better.
Oh, if you're NOT convinced, notice I don't care. If I'm right, even if you don't believe me, others who know you could look incredulously at you, if you claimed one thing, and then promptly ask: So what are you all in the mood for? Just nothing TOO wild and crazy you know?
Now though general principles are worked through in a quick post to understand how I do things with my functional definitions in other areas.
A functional definition in contrast to a descriptive one is definitive in letting you know you have the thing and I think works best with abstractions where description is less useful. Like go look up an establishment dictionary definition of entertainment and compare.
Oh, and also notice focused on just two primary abstractions to encompass entertainment, where ranged widely so could talk a restaurant, and there is no reason to think that my interest here indicates any interest in being an entertainer myself. Also shows that for me the entertainment industry is more vast as a concept than may be for others.
James Harris
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