Thread: Thought of the Day #1

I'd like to start by saying that this observation isn't just about SRP, but about several forums in which I am active on a variety of subjects....but it does happen on SRP.

If a person asks a specific question on a forum, AND gets 3-5 well informed responses from experienced members, WHY do many of the OPs then feel compelled to argue with the responders?

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

I'd like to start by saying that this observation isn't just about SRP, but about several forums in which I am active on a variety of subjects....but it does happen on SRP.

If a person asks a specific question on a forum, AND gets 3-5 well informed responses from experienced members, WHY do many of the OPs then feel compelled to argue with the responders?

Because the advice given doesn't agree with their pre-conceived idea of what the answer should be.

Yep, I agree with Ed.


My wife keeps bringing up the same subject until she gets the answer she wants. Does not have to be correct, only that it meets her expectations.

I had a boss like that. He, unfortunately, passed away, probably from aggravation with me.

Originally Posted by rolodave

Yep, I agree with Ed.


My wife keeps bringing up the same subject until she gets the answer she wants. Does not have to be correct, only that it meets her expectations.

In a 12 step program I was involved in new guys frequently asked many people the question until they got the answer they were looking for in the first place. Not so new guys too .........

When I was on vacation in South Carolina as a young man, three guys used to slap me around until I gave them the right answer.
Sort of the same thing,,,,

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

I'd like to start by saying that this observation isn't just about SRP, but about several forums in which I am active on a variety of subjects....but it does happen on SRP.

If a person asks a specific question on a forum, AND gets 3-5 well informed responses from experienced members, WHY do many of the OPs then feel compelled to argue with the responders?

Because then it would be desirable to learn more from their mistakes and are generally the result can be sad.

It has been my experience that the majority of the people from this new generation have been told that they are the only repository of truth and that "All truth is relative" so they arrive at a forum with a preconceived notion of what "Their" truth is and those that do not conform to that "Truth" are "False".

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

If a person asks a specific question on a forum, AND gets 3-5 well informed responses from experienced members, WHY do many of the OPs then feel compelled to argue with the responders?

Sometimes those 3-5 responses have 7-8 different ideas, sometimes contradictory, leaving the OP more confused following the responses than before the question was asked.

One thing I've learned as I've taken up a new hobby or interest is that there's often more than one way to do something, and sorting through the various suggestions to find the one that suits me can be challenging. Further, comments in other threads that are tangentially related to the original topic add even more options.

Challenging the responses may be the person looking to clarify the advice given to find the solution that is most suitable based on budget, circumstances, etc. if the person is less than tactful or not particularly skilled with words, the follow up may come across as more resistant and confrontational than intended. Or they may just want their opinion confirmed and don't want to hear anything else.

Sometimes I am left wondering...If no-one can decide how to skin the cat, it keeps eating the chow.

As to that, I often wonder how much crap/ confusion is generated by trolls sober or non trolls drunk?
In this age of instant celebrity and quick inebriation there is some strength to the suggestion that a person is celebrated by what they say and how often they say it... for a short time!

We also have a language ideological mix here at SRP from around the world and even here in the USofA there are distinctly different speech patterns and dictionaries for common terms. Take a 6 week tour in a military boot camp or federal prison if you are not convinced that ethnicity within a group is as confused as that between groups.

If you don't think so; why does every female spokesperson on TV and radio ads sound like a nasal "Valley Girl." Those were the butt of leg whacking fun back when and the equal to "Blonde" jokes; or, maybe the start of them, 30-40 years ago.
Still babbling, and at my age!
~Richard