I’m a radical centrist, but I value anecdotes in this case due to the fact that most agencies are captured, and corporatism rules the ‘facts’. I trust some studies, but it really depends on the methods/variables, and type of study. You can lie all day with statistics, but they can be valuable for some things. I do find it interesting when liberals find statistics useful, and when they do not. Like with crime stats etc.. Also the nature of this site makes it most suitable to find anecdotes, I can find research easy enough on Yandex and google.
Media should never be beleieve unless there are citing peer reviewed research to back up their claim. If they are then will you beleieve DN.
I say this with all due respect because I’ve read your writing and while I don’t agree with a lot of your views… you can argue a point not just stomp your feet and say this is like this because this is the way it is.
But maybe I’m reading your post wrong but it reminded me of something I always encounter in right wing leaning ppl (which I think it’s a safe bet to say you are?)….why do ppl on the right put so much weight into anecdotes? They are as reliable as straight up lies where only one person has to concede to the lie. If media lies at least a whole team of ppl has to agree on it and they have a reputation of sorts to protect…it’s not some anecdote from BigJim 420 69 patriot on twitter who has to answer to nobody and is anonymous.
A 2nd and really the big issue that reminds me of righties (again I’m not saying this is you)…it’s just something that I notice rampant on the right and I really try to apply the same scrutiny to the ppl on the left…is that righties don’t literally understand the difference and relative weight between statistics and anecdotes. They think anecdote has any weight and is a good as a statistic or empirically proven fact.
It bothers me I can’t even get my own parents to understand the difference between statistics and anecdotes. They se to think that their personal life experience of many anecdotes is some sort of statistic without accounting for any of the geographic or personal bias that would obviously accompany ones personal experiences in their little corner of life.
I agree with you
@LucidSDreamr in more than one are on your message, but the actual central belief I disagree with. Anecdotal evidence is useful, Andy if you have a hundred rom even let’s say five people who don’t need know each other, even better if all five people are on different web sites, and all five people have experience reports for the same type of drug that they say experience withdrawals of some kind with similar symptomsrelating between experiences, yet you find in official literature that it’s non addictive, then you shouldn’t just blindly trust either the official letter or the anecdotes, but take both to be a definite possibility. Some drugs are only addictive to small population groups or maybe only half of people ever experience withdrawals after using for years.
Antidepressants for example, are marketed as non-habit forming, instead of withdrawals, they call it discontinuation syndrome, and send that it’s the same thing as withdrawal. And on top of that, a fairly high amount people seem immune to developing any kind of physical addiction even after long term use.msomthe anecdotes are correct.
Also the scientific studies partly rely on anecdotes, because they can’t prove that any of the participants are lying, Andy they need to ask them how they feel, how have you slept ect. And then that info that that person could have kpjust made up is made part of an official study.
I wouldn’t recommend believing something that has only five anecdotes sharing the same info, you generally want as high as a number as possible, the higher number, the higher the chance it could be true. Of course there’s exceptions, in life to that rule but generally, if it quacks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, there’s a good chance it’s a duck. And if one person says you have a tail, they’re crazy, if two say it, you think about it but not too seriously yet, and if three say you have a tail, maybe you should check if you have a tail.
Just friendly debate, not trying to call you out or talk shit, I just disagree with you on that specifically
