pet peeves...

[thinwater]

Seriously? How would civilization have evolved if we all stopped at "I don't know."?

You misunderstand stand completely. The context was a person providing an answer to a question that was, for him and by his own admission, completely unknowable. This is the distinction. You do not postulate answers for the unknowable, only for the unknown. This is in stark contrast to a scientist giving up at his trade.

You either stop at "I don't know" or you move the science forward. You do NOT say "so someone had to kick it off" or otherwise throw your hands in the air or guess. Not productive or informative. Guessing does not move civilization forward. Reasoned thought does. If you do not know the square root of 2, you do not postulate that the answer must be "green." You either start multiplying numbers together until you get there, or you say "I do not know."

I most certainly am NOT one that stops looking. My career has been one continuous science project, and that is still how I make a living; testing, evaluating, and looking deeper. But I don't just guess. I either find the answer or say "I don't know" until I collect enough information to form a meaningful and defensible hypothisis.

 

[bawlmer]

Last time "Microsoft Windows" called to help fix my computer after a while they called me an A**hole and HUNG UP, didn't help a bit. I swear that's just what he said "This is Microsoft Windows" , idiots.

HA HA HA! Me too. I make sport of trying to keep them on the line as long as I can. "Where is that button? What do I do again? I keep pressing shift/control/delete and nothing happens". The payoff for that must be immense for all the abuse those idiots subject themselves to.

 

[Justin_NSA]

You do NOT say "so someone had to kick it off" .

Ah, can I use this as a pet peeve? Someone who drops a relevant part of a comment to make their own point. I specifically included " or something" so as not to impose my own beliefs in regards to the universe being an example of perpetual motion.

 

[shemandr]

"To tell the truth..." So everything you said before that is a lie?

 

[thinwater]

"To tell the truth..." So everything you said before that is a lie?

"To be perfectly honest...."
"If want my honest opinion...."

 

[dlochner]

"To be perfectly honest...."
"If want my honest opinion...."

These aren't so bad, they are socially acceptable ways to tell you I'm not about to parse words.

Much easier to say, "If you want my honest opinion, that boat is a POS 3knotsh*tbox." It the other party says, nope I don't want your honest opinion you are forced in to saying things like, "the builder was building to a price point and trying to appeal to first mate."

 

[shemandr]

"If want my honest opinion...."

"No, I'd like to hear your dishonest opinion." Actually it might be useful for someone to announce their dishonesty right at the get go. That could be a timesaver.

 

[thinwater]

These aren't so bad, they are socially acceptable ways to tell you I'm not about to parse words.

Much easier to say, "If you want my honest opinion, that boat is a POS 3knotsh*tbox." It the other party says, nope I don't want your honest opinion you are forced in to saying things like, "the builder was building to a price point and trying to appeal to first mate."

Very well put!

 

[Will Gilmore]

"No, I'd like to hear your dishonest opinion." Actually it might be useful for someone to announce their dishonesty right at the get go. That could be a timesaver.

Actually, we often don't want an honest opinion. And to announce it ahead sort of defeats the purpose.
I usually cook on the grill for my guests, and while I'm fine with an honest answer about how the meal was (I helps to improve our efforts), it might be better for future interrelationships. That my guest are generous enough to lie to me and tell me they enjoyed my meal, makes for good will at the end of an evening with friends. It is likely that I'll never know the truth, even if they tell me the truth. It does make me feel good to think that I served my guests well and they enjoyed their time at my table. So, if you should happen to stop by around dinnertime, you will be invited to dinner. If you didn't happen to find the meal enjoyable, please feel free to be kind rather than tell the truth. I will always, honestly, love whatever you make for and/or serve to me, in the reverse circumstances.

-Will (Dragonfly)