The Big Grey Mass of Stuff

Statements such as "I don't like X" can mean one of two things: Either that you're neutral towards X or that you actively dislike X. Even when it should be clear that it's the former that I mean, people sometimes ask me to give reasons for my opinion. I find that bizarre. I see the universe of stimuli as one great grey mass of stuff, with the occasional bit standing out and causing my opinion system, or whatever you want to call it, to deviate from the default mode of indifference. Surely you shouldn't be asked to justify staying in the default mode?

I'm pretty sure that there are substantial differences between individuals in how many stimuli stand out from the mass of grey stuff and that I am particularly prone to indifference. But is there anyone who sees the world as mostly stuff worth developing a strong attitude towards? Wouldn't that lead to cognitive overload? What about artists? Do many things stand out for them? Or is it the opposite - are they particularly selective and then go on to create art about some of the things that stand out?