This "best" thing long has intrigued me. What is it? What is the standard? What is relative about the experience versus other experiences allowing someone to say, "Yep, nothing tops this," and maybe more importantly things not experienced? "Best" is an easy shorthand but what does it highlight and how?
For me it boils down to an individuals personal experience. Best what? Could be compared to previous trips or products or whatever. Best drink, cigar, relationship, cruise, trip, flight, mobile device... The individual has to set his or her own standards to compare to.
It's a whole psychology analysis. I've noticed that a lot of folks need to validate themselves when they spend large bucks on something. If they splurge on a meal at a good restaurant in Vegas they say that restaurant is the best. If that restaurant is not the best then they have made a mistake in not going to the best. People are sheep and like to go to the popular places. It's more fun that way to share common experiences. For me, I've asked twice about golf courses. Do I want the "best" golf course? Not really, I just want to spend my money wisely and have the course meet my expectations. And I think that's what my people are looking for when they ask what is "best". There are others, perhaps the 1% folks, that truly want the best. People ask for the best steakhouse in Vegas; money no object. Replies will still recommend Ellis Island. The best bowling alley to me is a 12 lane family owned place about 25 miles from my house where I bowl every week. What makes it the best is the experience. It's family owned and the family is there to make sure everything is smooth. No drama, no nickle and dimeing, and it's clean. It's just a more professional operation than the larger alleys nearer to home.
"Best" as people generally use the word is just about as subjective as can be, and that is not necessarily wrong. There is a special running currently on I think the Golf Channel which discusses the iconic number 59. I haven't seen it yet, but even so, I am prompted to ask: Was Al Geiberger's 59 the best round he ever shot? It was his lowest round in PGA competition, and I think still the lowest ever recorded. Yet some other, higher round might have meant more to him or might have been accomplished on a harder course or under more difficult circumstances. The best meal I ever ate was the prix fixe dinner at the French Laundry a few years after it opened. Since that time, the price of the meal has risen so high that I would not pay it today. It was- simply- the best meal I ever ate or am likely to eat. Yet my wife did not enjoy the experience very much. She felt intimidated and out of place, and thought the price was too high. For her, some other meal- possibly even one I cooked- would be the best.
I don't know about that first bit. Yes, there certainly are show-pony tourists, traveling to bling. But we have one thread going right now where people are tossing stones at what some might've thought were sacred-cow restaurants, so it's not universal. "Truly want the best." Doesn't everyone want the best for their dollar, however big is that dollar? I can address the golf thing, specifically. In two of my books, I deal with the issue of "best" in things Vegas. I make light of the concept in that it is silly by its very notion in most experience sets, but concede that people like rankings, glory and goat being called out, so I do that. I felt comfortable calling out courses, for instance, because: 1) I played every one of them, which is kinda essential if one is going to make "best" or "worst" statements; and 2) I also broke it down into several "bests," bringing in the concept of value or cost. Is it perfect? Hell no. Is it objective? Hell yes. It is perfect and infallible? No no no. It remains one guy's thoughts. But hopefully there is context as to why something is higher or lower ranked than something else. Now in other types of writings, I seldom pander in the concept of best. I certainly make recommendations (or rips). But if someone asks me what's Seattle's best restaurant, I pass, but will suggest A, B and C because we've enjoyed them, felt they delivered what they needed to deliver, and whatever the cost, each represented good value. I wasn't being literal with the alley question but since you answered it I think you nailed it.
Good stuff, Bard. Ahh, the elusive 59. That one always has cracked me up. Miller's 63 at Oakmont in '73 is one of the best rounds, if not the best round, ever shot. Yet he "only" tallied a 63, which was "only" eight under par. Is 11 under on an easy par-70 course a better score than 12 under on a hard par-72 course simply because the first is 59 and the second is 60? Of the 59s, likely Geiberger's given the conditions and the era. But I don't think any of the 59s probably hit the top 25 best rounds ever. (Oh, and why no love for the sub-60s on other tours or venues?)
The best feeling is when someone notices I am a Vet and they say "Thank You". I always say it to other vets and active service members. The best feeling was when I retired and I saw how many people showed up. I was overwhelmed. Then they gave me a standing ovation. Incredible. The best feeling is when after more than 50 years, from the time I was 11, I could sit on the beach with a cold beer and just watch the day pass by with no worries. The best feeling was that electric moment when you knew it was just right and you made love to a pretty girl. The best feeling was seeing your favorite team win the championship. It makes you laugh and cry at the same time. It's the best when your ball bounces straight into the hole from 150 yards out. It's the best when you dip a King Crab claw into melted butter and put it in your mouth. It's the best when the doctor says "Keep up the good work. See you in 6 months".
Good stuff from Breeze .BEST thing I could do today is stay home after last night in AC,but no, nothing like a hair of the dog up at the club to straighten me out .
I have no clue what happened here. This was not a question posed on life. It specifically was written as to how people get around to saying this restaurant or style of food or hotel is "best" and in what context. (Absent this post as initially written, snide and I talking about bowling alleys makes no sense.) Hate to sound paranoid but I didn't drunk-amend it but I'm not seeing the leavings of VMB God, either.
Best is a very subjective superlative. What is best for one is worst for another. However, these days it tends to colloquially mean something that has a lot of support overall.
I see it as relative to what you're used to and when something by far exceeds your normal expectations then it falls into the best. If you're used to staying at Hampton Inn's and then book a stay at a 5-star resort? "That was the best hotel ever" and so on....
I guess I'm guilty of hijacking the thread. It was how I felt at that moment, that to me "best" has nothing to do with something material. I thought I was being philosophical. In the spirit of the intent of the OP, I guess the "best" is anything I can't afford. Like the old joke about menus with no prices: If you have to ask, you can't afford it.
No need to ever apologize to hijacking one of my threads. I don't get my panties all in a wad over such stuff.
Not to sound simplistic, but the best is not objective, its subjective and the result of a compilation of prior experiences which are ranked by an individual or a group. I recently returned from an overnight trip and stayed at a Days Inn and thought it was one of the best 2* hotels I've stayed at in a long time. It was clean, the grounds were well maintained, the room had a mini 'fridge and microwave, it was in a great location and it was reasonable. Kind of like being the tallest midget (which is an objective analogy). I think for me (subjective), any mention of best has to include value as in best for the money. I recently had a $.99 Jr. Cheeseburger at Wendy's, it was the best sandwich off the value menu of any of the major fast food joints. But, we don't have Jack in the box out East, so my best is based on the pool of available fast food restaurants with value menus. I recently went to Chipotle for the first time last week. Just remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Had the shredded beef burrito, it was probably the best I've had. But I don't eat them that often and my prior experience was Taco Bell and a regional chain of Mexican sit down restaurants. So, given my view of the world, that was the best.
I agree with "the best" being a subjective thing. I get just a tad irritated when I see threads asking "What is the best..." when most of us agree this is subjective. But we probably all know that the real question is along the lines of "What is YOUR best..." which is probably what is really being asked. My best... Your best... The best according to..., these are more accurate descriptions of either the question or the answer to "What is the best".