You Are Four Questions away from Complete Fulfillment
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to the newsletter or RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
These questions are those I’d love to hear your answers to if you dare (most people won’t want to). It is basically a poll based on the Opposable Thumbs and Comment Ratings thread. This poll doesn’t lend itself to the multiple choice format though so this is the best way at the moment.
When you ask these questions of yourself and give a sincere answer, it will be right in some sense, wrong in some sense, right and wrong in some sense, meaningful in some sense, meaningless in some sense, useful in some sense, and useless in some sense. Fear not grasshopper, for if you repeat the previous sentence 777 times in Idaho Falls or even anywhere in South-East Idaho, you will achieve lasting complete fulfillment in your life (in some sense).
The magic questions will now be revealed to you:
- When involved in a discussion, are you able to dislike or strongly disagree with something that adds value to the conversation? (Yes/No) If yes, give an example of something that added value to the discussion that you disagreed with. If possible (without trying to bait someone), refer to an example on this site. If that’s not possible, recall an example from another context in life.
- Imagine now that you are actually wrong about something, but thought you were right. How would you know?
- Have you ever liked someone despite suspecting that they didn’t like you?
- Regarding comments on IdahoFallsToday.com, when rating a comment with a simple thumbs up/down, the best I can come up with after reading the great feedback is currently “Was this comment useful to you?” To me this has what I think is an important word “useful” but also clarifies that it does not judge whether something “is” useful, but whether it’s useful to “you”. That way the overall vote count will be a better indicator for how useful the comment is as a whole. This is just my point of view so far. Again, the thumbs rating system is obviously just in its beginning stage and will mature into something more useful.
If you don’t like “Was this comment useful to you?”, what is a better question?
For ease of readability, please number your replies 1, 2, 3, 4. But hey, it’s only a request - it’s your comment.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Vote:
2 
0 1. Yes. The older I get, the more I realize I don’t know everything. There are many threads here where I’ve learned something, even from an opposing point of view. Sometimes the most important thing is to learn how to disagree.
2. I try to follow the seniment in Ogden Nash’s short poem about getting along with your fiew: “When you’re wrong, admit it, and when you’re right, shut up.”
3. Yes. Respect is probably the better word.
4. This rating system is probably as fair as any other.
Vote:
1 1 Well dang it, Bloop has said everything perfectly in #2. However, I’m never one to leave my extensive comment unsaid 
so here goes:
1. Yes. I have disagreed with many things that were nonetheless valuable to me to read. I try to keep an open mind about new ideas, and I don’t always think that I am right, even if I disagree with what the person is saying. In fact, there are multiple times when someone that I normally dislike immensely says something that is logically laid out (which appeals to me) and thoughtfully presented, and I especially appreciate and value that kind of a response.
2. On this site if anyone cares about what you write, they are sure to do some research and then comment to try to explain where you missed the boat. That’s a good thing if you are genuinely mistaken. On the other hand, sometimes they just attack you without giving any proof, and that’s when you feel you were probably right in the first place.
3. Yes, in a sense. On this site I try to maintain a neutral front to all unless I’ve just had enough, in which case I get a little snippy (but then I’m embarrassed for sinking to their level). But mostly when I’m reasonably sure that people dislike me (sometimes the reasons for their dislike aren’t readily apparent to me) I just pretend I don’t notice and I respond to them as pleasantly as possible. But in the general public arena, if someone with whom I interact on a regular basis clearly doesn’t like me even though I’ve not shown any dislike or disrespect to them, I end up finding ways to avoid interacting with them because I don’t want to waste my time.
4. I think of the thumbs up as an opportunity to show the person that I agree with what they said. I think of the thumbs down as an opportunity to say to the person that I disagreed with what they said, or disliked the attitude I perceived (especially when a comment is rude or attacking).
I don’t vote in terms of “usefulness” although being useful could be defined as something you like… Nor do I vote because I like or dislike the person overall, or want to “support” them or “send them a message”. And, if a comment doesn’t move me either way, if it’s just a statement that I can’t make up my mind about whether I agree or disagree, I don’t vote.
I am seeing what appears to be a pattern of voting done purely on the like or dislike of the commenter. A perfectly sweet or even neutral comment will get multiple thumbs down. I can understand snotty comments getting thumbs up and down, because some folks will agree or disagree with what was said and vote that way. But a neutral comment getting thumbs down really shows the attempt at skewering, and to me that’s rather petty. (And I guess I’m still hoping for the commenters to rise above that kind of behavior…)
Leave Your Comment
Our Community's Comment Guidelines:- Please stay polite and on topic.
- Your email will never be published.
- No profanity or euphemisms for profanity.
- No personal attacks, name-calls, put-downs, or baiting other guests, races, genders, or religions.
- Express opinions, facts, logic, and reasoning; just don’t argue for argument’s sake.
- No commercial links (unless absolutely relevant to the discussion) and no religious proselytizing.
- No religious discussions (for or against). Go to http://religiondebates.blogspot.com for religious discussions.
- Use the "I" word as much as possible to demonstrate responsibility.
- Limit yourself to using one name per thread to demonstrate responsibility.
- If you think a comment is inappropriate, ask Joe to review it.
Loading ...
Vote:
1. When involved in a discussion, are you able to dislike or strongly disagree with something that adds value to the conversation? (Yes/No) If yes, give an example of such a thing that you disagreed with on this site if possible, or elsewhere in life.
YES. I strongly disagree with people who, in a religious sense, think/believe their’s is the only path to God/Enlightenment. However, that said I have listened and learned a whole bunch from folks who have very differing views than I. And in that I find value.
2. Imagine now that you are actually wrong about something, but thought you were right. How would you know?
By being willing to “hear” another point of view, evaluate what I think/feel/believe against that point of view, and use logic and rationality to determine if what I thought/believed stands up to my own and others’ logic/scrutiny. What doesn’t work is digging in my heels, becoming hostile and defending my POV at all costs. In those cases it is impossible for me to see the flaws in my own logic.
3. Have you ever liked someone despite suspecting that they didn’t like you?
YUP. Perhaps liked isn’t the right word, but I can certainly find where I can respect someone regardless of whether I agree or not or whether they like/agree with me or not.
4. Regarding comments on IdahoFallsToday.com, when rating a comment with a simple thumbs up/down, the best I can come up with after reading the great feedback is currently “Was this comment useful to you?” To me this has what I think is an important word “useful” but also clarifies that it does not judge whether something “is” useful, but whether it’s useful to “you”. That way the overall vote count will be a better indicator for how useful the comment is as a whole. This is just my point of view so far.
Sounds good to me.