Regarding Pretention

Am I pretentious?
On New Years Eve this year, we were to play party games. One was to write the first single everyone had bought on a piece of paper. These would be played and we would guess the purchaser.
This is a problem for me. I have never bought a CD for myself. I have either guiltily downloaded what i wanted. Got it from someone else or was given the CD. I naturally questioned the suggestion and was told to give the first song i downloaded.
Well this is no good, I can't remember that now, its hardly momentous. So I reached for another option... I put my choice as a current favourite piece of music of mine by Verdi.
I am obviously found out and I have no qualms about my obscure choice. This is me, accept me - this being my thought pattern.
I then receive a bit of a smack round the face. Already having a couple of glasses I am perhaps a bit more receptive than I would be but I am told that my choice makes me a snob, pretentious etc.

I would now like to question this:
Does writing "Dies Irae - Verdi", for the humour of others and even to highlight my current tastes, make me a snob?

Well I agree it certainly would if I made the choice to show off, acknowledging a sinister superiority complex and generally to stir things.

Now I don't like ignorance but i flat out hate a refusal to learn. These things, in my opinion merit someone looking down their nose at you. If you don't want to learn you don't have to but you must accept the knowledge of those who can back it up if you can't provide better evidence for your own case!
My point being; I don't mind, for example, if you don't want to learn about physics, but if its an area I may have more knowledge in, do not try and tell me some nonsense is truth without hard evidence to back it up.
Side rant over.

In myself I want people to appreciate music, to see the depth, to understand the background and to see what the composer might have seen in the music, the glorious hidden messages. A lot of people are interested, but am I a snob for liking it? Listening to it regularly?
Similarly with wines. Am I a snob for liking more expensive stuff (paying for quality rather than drinking to look expensive) or am I being realistic in telling you that the more expensive stuff has more depth and I find it nicer?

I love high class society, I love etiquette and manners, I love the history of the dinner table and the correct cutlery and I understand their uses...but I flat out abhor the class system, its a biased way of regulating people into their groups by, frankly, irrelevant information.

I like to be a bit of an eccentric sometimes in my dressing but most of the time I am grubby in casual clothes, rushing after 5 different people on top of myself.

Let me enjoy my quirks without calling me a snob. I love your way of life and the way you enjoy it but I love my life for me.

A thought for you...

A snob is someone who belittles someone for something out of their control, I would say, under the impression that they are the more privileged.
Surely to be accepted is a privilege?
Well then surely those who are willing to throw the titles of snob around feel more normal and are privileged for that, belittling the eccentrics...

It is a difficult point. There are snobs but please, I think you are all wonderful. If I say I think i am better than you at any point it is certain I am having a bit of a tease. Allow me this but rethink your true attitude. These things hurt from a tiny misunderstanding...

All the best to you,

Alex