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well, kirstang was the one who mentioned people playing outside specifically, but i do agree w/him somewhat so i'm not indignant at being lumped in.
the reason i often find that pretentious is because people i know who do that usually play to be noticed, not so much to play for themselves or anyone who comes along. it just seems people often pick up the guitar in order for people (read: girls) to identify them with a particular archetype. they know that some shaggy-haired guy playing his guitar (ostensibly to themselves) under a tree evokes particular images in some people.
there are plenty of instruments out there, but you don't see people with their carefully marketed brand of hip picking up the violin, cello, or flute do ya?
we all do many things to make ourselves appear more attractive/mysterious/happy etc to others, nothing intrinsically wrong w/that in my opinion. it's just that, in my experience, many people who choose to play the guitar are doing so for those very reasons on top of (or in place of) the regular motivations for learning to play music.
i'm not saying it's a dishonest or bad thing to do... simply that it seems a bit silly and pretentious.
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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
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