But... There is something to be said for listening to an Opera in a language you don't speak. It completely bypasses any part of your brain that tries to intellectualize, and just hits you in the feels.

It's not always about status seeking, it's about getting away from the ugliness that pervades the world around you and getting lost in something beautiful in it's own right.

I don't often enjoy 'watching' Operas, the visual context keeps me locked in the state of mind I'm trying to escape from. Only listening. Rare exception to the special treat of a singer belting out in a random spot on the streets.

Just wanted to point out that not everyone looks at art as a social ladder, or even take the same things out of art that someone else does.