When you are immersed in a certain form of culture, it is hard to notice a gradual lessening of standards over time. When you take a long break from a certain form and then return to it, any lessening will be more dramatic because many gradual steps will have accumulated.

Long ago, I stopped watching major network television prime time shows. When young, the evening sitcoms were The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bob Newhart, etc. When things seemed to decline, I stopped. Every once in a while, I will visit with someone who has continued to keep up with the latest shows and has not noticed the gradual decline. As it has now been 20 years in my case, I am often amazed to see VERY intelligent people sitting there laughing along with the laugh track on some juvenile show whose gags can be seen coming for five minutes in advance (and are not that funny, anyway). Similarly, I don’t keep up with popular music radio stations, and am often shocked by what is good enough to win a Grammy (just heard some clips last night, driving home, because the Grammy awards were apparently held last night).

Those who immerse themselves in the New York ballet scene, or art museum, or whatever, and stay in close contact for 20 years might not be conscious of what has been slowly happening; as noted in the article, they clap and swoon over everything done.