Why are people on ATS incapable of answering questions?

I've noticed that people on ATS rarely answer questions. The majority of the time I ask a question, people respond with questions or rhetorical statements, or make wild assumptions about what I belive. Anything but answer the question. I recognize that deliberately ignoring your opponent and spamming your own rhetoric is sometimes an effective debate tactic, but it's seriously counterproductive when trying to have a meaningful discussion with someone.

Example 1:
Joe: OMG! THAT'S JUST WRONG!!!!
Me: What's wrong about it?
Joe: Are you kidding me? Don't you see it?

No. That's why I asked. Giving an answer like this is completely useless and just leads me to believe that Joe is an idiot who has no reason.

Example 2:
Bob: I believe X.
Me: Ok. Why do you believe X?
Bob: You're an idiot for not believing X.
Me: Excuse me? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just want to know WHY you believe X?
Bob: I believe X and anyone who doesn't is wrong.


I regularly see exchanges like this. There are very few people on ATS who are willing and able to answer a direct question.

Why is this?

Why do you ask, are you stupid or something???

I get this sometimes too, I just hate when they act like YOUR the one with the problem for not being able to see it their way, I just think their not able to put a proper response into words, so their forced to put up the Fifth grade defense.

Cali baby !

I think other boards are worse, but i know what you mean.

I've also noticed this.

When I ask what I consider to be a reasonable question then I'm am called various names.... My new favorite is disinfo agent.

Where do I sign up to get paid to ask questions?

What is it you want to know? Whose asking and why?

Generally, this is how it is when dealing with the public. It is like trying to herd cats! The question is not only misinterpreted from the beginning, but, instant fodder for an argument. Once you begin to deal with intelligence levels from the very stupid to the over educated, you'll end up with every kind of answer but the one you had hoped for.

This is why, I generally no longer ask anyone for their opinion, or thoughts on anything. What little sanity I have left, I'd like to hang onto...

reply to post by IntastellaBurst

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I don't mind people thinking I'm wrong...but if I'm wrong, I'd prefer they to explain to why I'm wrong me rather than simply telling me I'm wrong for not agreeing with them.



That may be true. But anyone who can't answer a simple why they believe something isn't doing anything to support their cause.

reply to post by LordBucket

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www.abovetopsecret.com...

lol.

I would guess because of two main reasons...

1. People state belief as fact, and when their facts are challenged by scrutiny or scientific truth they take it personally and become upset.

2. The average person is of average intelligence. Maybe they're just not as smart as you expect them to be.



[edit on 28-10-2009 by ImplausibleDeniability]

reply to post by ImplausibleDeniability

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I am gonna go with number one here. There is way to much posting assumptions, ideas and/or blogticles and going see!

But when actually challenged to provide proof, in comes the name calling.

i was going to make that comment!!!

lol

people who cant answer questions simply dont actually think for themselves. therefore, they CANNOT answer questions.

It's because a lot of people here believe in conspiracy the same way that other people believe in religion.

The way their mind is wired... some people attribute all things to "God" that don't have an explanation (due to ignorance or whatever) and for the same reason, other people attribute it to "The powers that be (i.e. conspiracy)"

You can clearly see the parallel between "proof" that God exists because they saw a picture of Mary in a reflection or because their "prayers" were answered.. conspiracists use the same trite "evidence" for their beliefs as well: fuzzy pictures of UFOs, fabricated quotes from the internet, and the deliberate misinterpretation of information.

Just like asking a religious person "How or Why does God exist?"

Many people on ATS aren't going to answer your questions.

dont you see it? or are you one of those sheeple?



i think frankly, most the time they dont know the answer themselves.

about two weeks ago i was in a discussion in a thread here and i kept asking for what they meant by something tasting like "living water" and they kept telling me to imagine water that was alive and how it would taste.

they really have no clue themselves because they havent thought anything through.

or maybe its just that people assume something is some way just to have an opinion. they side with whatever their gut tells them.

reply to post by nixie_nox

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I don't need proof. Sometimes I just want to know why someone believes something.


Me: Why do you believe that?
Fred: I don't know. Never occured to me to question it. I've just always believed it.


That would a great answer. I'd be thrilled to see someone on ATS say something like that. But I think it's like ImplausibleDeniability said:

reply to post by ImplausibleDeniability

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Some people just aren't very smart, and can't distinguish between "fact" and "belief." They think they're the same thing. If you believe something, it's fact. It just seems amazing to me that people can function like this. I mean...let's say you think you left your keys in your jacket. You can believe that your keys are in your jacket, but that doesn't make it fact. Perhaps you actually left them in your car. Or maybe they fell out. But you never see anyone go into a fit of existentialist confusion when it turns out their belief that their keys are in their jacket turn out to not match the fact that the keys aren't there.

With such simple, common examples so readily available in daily life, it really shouldn't be such a stretch for people to recognize that beleiving something doesn't make it fact.

reply to post by LordBucket

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Dude, I can't even get my wife to answer a straight yes or no question!

Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies.

Do these jeans make me look fat?

Regards...KK

[edit on 28-10-2009 by kinda kurious]

reply to post by LordBucket

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There are a lot of people on here who's main focus is to influence the thoughts of others. You will notice they spend vast amounts of energy and time trying to acheive this.

Try to ignore them.

Why can't people answer questions?

I suspect that in the middle of the discussion of a controversial topic, someone makes a post under the assumption that somebody on ATS is going to disagree with them. I think that is a safe assumption. Some people may be a little more sensitive to disagreement. Maybe bad experiences in the past.

Therefore, one reason some people might not answer questions is because they may perceive the questioner as attempting to initiate a debate using a Socratic questioning format. Very rarely do I see questioners state, "I'm not trying to start a debate with you, I'm really trying to clarify what you meant."

Socratic questioning over the internet is particularly difficult to deal with online because it takes a great deal of time, effort, and energy to engage in it effectively. There's also online avatar bravado/pride at work which may prevent some people from effectively answering questions in a non-defensive way.

I'm sure there are more answers, but this one popped in my head in response to your question. Hadn't seen "fear of Socratic debate" posted yet.

reply to post by LordBucket

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Are you suggesting that people on ATS are somehow different from people elsewhere?

Why would ask a question of a group of people whom you've just tagged as being incapable of answering questions?

Are you speaking of questions in general... as in, 'Hi, how are you doing today?' or something a little more involved like, 'Excuse me but... is that a One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater in your pocket or... are you just happy to see me?'

Assuming you are also one of the people here at ATS, will you be answering any of these questions or am I just wasting cyber ink?

...

meep norp lok tu
lgren hoxen curr