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Adelynn wrote on 2011-02-09 21:43
I'm curious about what makes people not believe in certain things, almost right off the bat. When I say "things", i'm talking about news articles, a person's argument on an issue, etc.
Are there things that just make you go, "This is BS!" ?
For me, it's titles that don't sound plausible (i.e. completely stupid), very bad spelling, or an overtly biased statement.
Insults, because they can't actually counter me on the topic at hand.
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Wing wrote on 2011-02-09 21:45
Mhm to bad spelling..
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Cynic wrote on 2011-02-09 21:46
Pretty much what you said.
Sometimes I find that people are so absorbed with their own supposed facts that they have this really self-righteous attitude. Sometimes people are just right in that case, though.. but meh.
S'my personal experience.
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Skye wrote on 2011-02-09 21:47
Definitely the way something is written. If it is hardly coherent, then I tend to blow it off.
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Adelynn wrote on 2011-02-09 21:49
Aha. Maybe I should add self-righteousness to the list. As you said, some people are right in what they say, but it's their attitude that puts others off. It might be that whole mentality of "I don't want my beliefs to be associated with this or that obnoxious person".
EDIT: Yeah, it's a little hard for me to take a post seriously when a person isn't taking themselves seriously. There are times when people should type with at least SOME amount of seriousness, even if it's not with all caps in the right places and perfect punctuation. At least be legible! DX
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Intex wrote on 2011-02-09 21:53
Insults are a big sign of BS article.
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Mama wrote on 2011-02-09 21:55
basically if someone believes something that is absolutely false, and/or subjective, and at the same time adds insults on top.
also, if they are emotionally-charged. completely incompatible with logic. My biggest peeve.
and arguments where critical thinking doesn't exist. Especially if the person refuses to recognize that the issue isn't black and white.
both sides of the story.. otherwise people get biased opinions..
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Adelynn wrote on 2011-02-09 21:55
Ah, I can't believe I forgot that! I've had that happen to me a few times.
Ah, yes. I think assuming things are just black and white can cause a lot of problems. Religion, for example, is a very gray issue to me. It usually depends on the religious person, how pushy they are/aren't, etc.
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Cucurbita wrote on 2011-02-09 22:07
Organization, or lack of.
Generally consisting of proper syntax, grammar, spelling, diction.
I try to take religious sources seriously but usually fail to give them my complete attention due to my nonreligious bias.
News articles or factual articles lose 100% credibility if the writer brings in their own opinion into the article. This is mostly because things are seen differently in the eye of the beholder and those who cannot stay neutral to the coverage has failed to maintain professional journalism.
I read this in a life improvement book recently (Don't Gobble the Marshmellow Ever, sequel to Don't Swallow the Marshmellow Yet). Its not a direct quote but its something like this.
One action can look completely different to the beholder purely based on whether the person likes you or not.
If you are loud, someone who likes you will assume you are an assertive and leading person while someone who dislikes you will find you to be arrogant and annoying.
If you are quiet, someone who likes you will assume you are a complex and calculating person while someone who dislikes you will find you timid and unsociable.
These examples stretch into almost everything in life and how we view them. Its impossible to avoid these misconceptions and we end up bringing in our own version of the story to the mix, but a good analyst and journalist will always try to keep a clear head, and present a clean organized writing that depicts the facts leaving the reader to make sense of it themselves. This is why I try to avoid articles with strong emotion mixed it. It can really cloud a person's judgment and make the story feel very one sided. The result is that I have to end up reading another article about it or I won't get the other side of the story.
In casual debates or blog posts its totally fine to pour as much of your emotion on it as you want though.
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Adelynn wrote on 2011-02-09 22:17
I agree. I've read at least one "News" article in this forum's News section that was so emotionally loaded I just couldn't bring myself to take it seriously.
I think if a person wants to convince someone else of something, they can be emotionally loaded, but only to a certain degree. If it gets too far I have a really hard time believing what they're saying.
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Meikeru wrote on 2011-02-09 22:55
Things that kill credibility? I say serial killer, you get it?
They have none, and they kill others!
[video=youtube;LekUKeFijxc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LekUKeFijxc[/video]
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Moppy wrote on 2011-02-09 22:59
Mainly bias, but bad spelling and grammar can kill it pretty swiftly as well.
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loltastic659 wrote on 2011-02-09 23:17
Any article/statement that is outrageously bad in it's execution, mostly bad spelling, grammar problems, going off topic, caps lock, @nD @nYtH1Ng l13k D1s.
When there's just way too much emotion stuffed into an article. Just because you saw some roadkill doesn't mean you have the right to spam forums about your traumatic experience and scream how cars are evil.
When the author uses any type of excuse to explain why people should listen to him/her and not to anyone else.
People who believe every topic is black and white.
Hypocrisy. ESPECIALLY hypocrisy.
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Zid wrote on 2011-02-09 23:43
Emotions and insults.
Bias is to be expected, and so I let a certain degree through as long as it doesn't overall affect the whole writing in a significant way.
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Tatsu wrote on 2011-02-09 23:53
Severe bias, refusal to accept that right and wrongs don't exist (depending on the topic of argument), poor grammar, and insults.
The second one and last one is particularly bad for me.