Debates without numbers are pretty pointless

CloudsTasteGeometric · 2023-05-26T17:14:53+00:00

As someone who works in the social sciences: qualitative data is enormously important. Without sharing, analyzing, and considering individual experiences, any numbers you might associate with them become meaningless.

Numbers are important, sure, but an over reliance on them is tremendously reductive and results in a weaker discourse overall.

Urbantexasguy · 2023-05-26T19:58:26+00:00

The only "numbers" that ever seem to get referenced often here, are those from the tired old OK Cupid survey, that happened.....what....15 years ago?

Those women weren't rating men, they were rating PHOTOS of men, during the peak of the "Bathroom mirror selfie and dude holding a fish" era, well before guys even gave ANY thought to their photos.

Atomic_Thr0away · 2023-05-26T17:00:52+00:00

91.4831% of debates are pointlessly pretty. Discuss.

anonymousUser1SHIFT · 2023-05-26T16:09:43+00:00

To be fair, the debate with numbers is also pretty much useless.

Everyone wants to feel like they have it the worst and the other sex us the one causing the problems for them.

We have so many sets of numbers that prove, without a doubt, what happens and there are still a astronomically large amount of people that just go "umm nope, your wrong".

relish5k · 2023-05-26T20:25:02+00:00

I like numbers. I love a good Pew Research study. They can be provocative, convincing and a good jumping off point for debate and understanding.

But they are no replacement for common sense or human experience, both of which are needed to contextualize numbers anyway

BasicallyYogurt · 2023-05-26T16:40:52+00:00

I think debates with women (particularly those who frequent this sub) are pointless.

They are more concerned with defending team women from the big bad men, than having a logical discussion.

There's a reason great debaters are mostly men.

If you want to learn gender dynamics, just go outside and critically think about what you see, most everything here is noise.

Ok_Tomorrow_3963 · 2023-05-26T16:14:48+00:00

That kind of stuff is high effort and just as pointless around here. People aren't here to take debate seriously.

IGotBannedAgain021 · 2023-05-26T16:55:11+00:00

Actually quite the opposite, numbers only show what a trend is or isn't, mostly.

What really matters is what you can do about YOUR situation in YOUR context

Safinated · 2023-05-26T17:09:19+00:00

And yet numbers are lies, when people don’t like them 🤷‍♀️

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Orangematcha · 2023-05-26T17:51:33+00:00

Debating with numbers about emotion and feeling is pretty pointless. You’re not gonna win over your partner because statistics lmao.

purplish_possum · 2023-05-26T18:30:52+00:00

Just the opposite actually. Everything that's fun to debate is almost impossible to qualify.

HazyMemory7 · 2023-05-26T21:57:42+00:00

Plenty of things are too abstract to quantify/study properly.

therealcosmicnebula · 2023-05-26T22:19:02+00:00

People often lie on surveys. And studies often have errors or margin. Or are purposely biased.

So, while numbers can illuminate some truths, definitely shouldn't be trusted full stop.

They should be on considered.

To me, most of life and human interaction can be analyzed (from an individuals perspective) using lived experiences, logic and common sense.

A study or statistics are not about to tell me about something I've observed time and time again, first hand throughout my life. And that's led me to conclusions about the nature of people.

I think the problem is, most people are inherently intellectually lazy. And don't want to invest the mental energy necessary to parse their experiences into reasonable conclusions.

So it's just easier to default to incorrect conclusions or to use numbers.

It is the human condition after all to essentially need to be told what to do and what to think and what to believe.

Most people cannot figure out life without some outside source providing them with an answer.

And I cannot relate to that.

Blightning421 · 2023-05-26T22:47:55+00:00

I've posted numerous statistics as well as demolished false ones on this sub. Most folks don't care, they just want to read something that makes them feel better, weither that's rage bait or comforting lies.

The truth, especially truth that is supported by cold hard facts, often makes people feel uncomfortable.

People will believe what they want to believe, and that often takes the form of extreme ideologies, even if these are steeped in dogma. Nuance is completely abandoned.

If you want to have more hard numbers then support those who provide them and ridicule those who don't

Da_Famous_Anus · 2023-05-27T00:41:25+00:00

So called 'numbers' based on 'studies' aren't good enough either.

emoniria · 2023-05-27T23:13:42+00:00

i mean I don’t discriminate but im short asf soo I would prefer a guy taller then me but he doesn’t have to be 6ft

Title	Debates without numbers are pretty pointless
Author	DRW0813
Upvotes	24
Comments	41
Date	May 26, 2023 4:04 PM UTC (3 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/13sh6im/debates_without_numbers_are_pretty_pointless/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/debates-without-numbers-are-pretty-pointless.1220459 https://theredarchive.com/post/1220459

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