Do you research about the subject before writing or speaking?
By grvdubey11
@grvdubey11 (1879)
India
April 11, 2013 3:05am CST
I met a middle aged guy who asked me about my job,i told him ''i am a sailor', he replied that ,""life on ship is hell how do you manage'',well i asked him that if he ever visited a ship or tried to read about life on ships.He said that he has never been on a sea shore and he never read about that.So obviously it was his interpretation that life on ships is hell,now interpretations can be correct or wrong but its basically shooting arrow in the dark hoping that it hits the target.We see lot of people just giving their opinions on the basis of interpretation without doing any research which is like taking shortcut.The basic logic says that if you dont know anything, ask , otherwise do the research on it.Do you make efforts to research on something before writing or speaking? when you meet such people you try to correct them or just avoid? world would be much better place if people try to learn instead of pretending that they know everything.
3 people like this
12 responses
@joizee (502)
• Philippines
12 Apr 13
Agree! When I don't know something and I get the chance to talk to someone who've experienced it, I try to check if what I know is true or not or what really it is. I want to be corrected and sometimes it can lead to an argument which I enjoy a lot. I like to be corrected so I correct people if they have a misunderstanding of things. I like telling them a story instead of just saying "wrong! stupid! no!". No, no, no, I avoid that. Instead I engage them in the discussion. Sometimes if I'm corrected, I do research after the discussion and then I try to compliment the person for correcting me or try to prove that the person was wrong about what he knows. Thanks for the topic grvdubey11 ;)
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
12 Apr 13
That's a very nice approach and its a fair thing to do.We learn through our experiences ,discussions and arguments.If we pretend to know everything then we close the doors for learning .Thanks a lot for your response.
@dollar3235 (2062)
• India
11 Apr 13
If the subject is related to the present, recent past or future, I do the research and go by the facts that I can collect on the subject. However, when you talk something more than 30 years or say 10 years before internet age. I really go by my instincts. e.g. no matter how hard some can provide me the facts about Taj Mahal, for me it'll be Tejo Mahalya.
This guy whom you have mentioned, don't blame him for what he told you. He would have watched the movie "Life of Pi". 
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
11 Apr 13
That's a good technique the you follow.About Taj Mahal and Tejo Mahalya ,if i am not wrong there where lots of posts about this topic here on Mylot and other forums,exposing Shahjahan and all that.I agree about Life of Pi,will be interesting to meet someone who made his opinion after watching Final Destination 1 and 2,by that logic no one should travel in a Car and Plane either.Thanks a lot for your response.
,will be interesting to meet someone who made his opinion after watching Final Destination 1 and 2,by that logic no one should travel in a Car and Plane either.Thanks a lot for your response.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
11 Apr 13
Some people try to 'wing it' like this middle age guy did, thought he was being clever by pretending he knew the subject. How can you possibly know that life on a ship is hell if you have never set foot on a ship? Personally I try to not be dismissive or guess if I am in ignorance and would ask, that is how we learn things by asking, by being inquisitive. It's like arguing how you can argue a point when you don't know the full facts? Many people try to bluff their way through conversations and even through life, but sometimes there is someone smarter than them that will catch them out!
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
12 Apr 13
Exactly ,just imagining that something is wrong or right without doing any research is illogical.If that guy had done some research on this matter or tried to ask someone experienced in this field about life on a ship and then formed an opinion, it would have been quite fair even if it was negative opinion.You are so right about bluffing,people do that to pretend that they know everything.Thanks a lot for your response.
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
11 Apr 13
Oh I agree with you totally. That is why if I don't know something I will ask the questions. If I'm writing about something and don't know the answers I will research it first. I don't want to write something that is incorrect. However, I think this middle aged guy was speaking his opinion of what he believes life on a ship would be like for him. Even though never being on a ship he is just imagining what it would be like for himself. Where someone else who never been on a ship or read about it might think its got to be the best life ever. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? I think he was just giving his opinion of what he feels it would be for him because maybe he doesn't like the water or being cooped up on a ship for so long.
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
12 Apr 13
You are absolutely correct,asking questions and doing research is important to make sure you are going in right direction.Yes i got your point.I agree that he was giving his opinion on the basis of his imagination about how life would be on ship ,or how it would be for him.Its just that his opinion is based on ''imagination'',same applies for a guy who thinks that life on a ship is great but he never tried to find out about the same.It would have be much better if that guy tried to do some research about life on a ship and then form an opinion that its best or worst.For liking or disliking something person should have knowledge about that subject.Thanks a lot for your response.
@Angelpink (4035)
• Philippines
12 Apr 13
Exactly ! Why pretend when you don't know the topic. Personally i asked if i don't have any idea about it or if none whom can i ask , i search it in Mylot searched bar.
I would be appreciating shared ideas or information. For instance also if i can't relate with discussion posted i first read topic related to hies discussion then shared a thought afterwards. This world is unending learning process , each day is a new learning day.
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
12 Apr 13
I completely agree with your point, you learn by sharing knowledge.That is why we ask and discuss.If everyone tries to post imagination then that discussion would the a mess.There is none who knows everything,so right way is to ask or find out by research.Thanks a lot for your response.
@tinayu (214)
• China
12 Apr 13
of course i will reseach about the subject.if not,i will have little confidence about my writing or speaking.maybe my tongue will twist and i can't say a word.i also dislike someone who doesn't know anything at all but like to talk volubly.in that case, i will correct him without a hesitation.
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
12 Apr 13
That's right, when you know little about a subject, you don't have the confidence to present it firmly.So its always better to prepare yourself.Thanks a lot for your response.
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
11 Apr 13
Yes doing research about something is very important,one can have opinions based on his/her imaginations.Thanks a lot for your response.
@jayceeg1987 (293)
• Philippines
11 Apr 13
i agree with you. we can't be all-knowing just because we want to start a conversation. that guy could have asked you to tell more about your life being a sailor instead.
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
11 Apr 13
That's right,actually by asking questions you learn a lot more,so its better to aks than pretending that you know everything.Thanks a lot for your response.
@dagami (1158)
• Rome, Italy
11 Apr 13
definitely there would be less conflict if all of us would take time to investigate and learn first before forming an opinion. unfortunately, there are lots of people who do not bother to do this. if i don't have any idea about what the others are talking about, i shut up and listen. when i hear something that i don't understand, i turn to the internet for info.
most of the times i don't bother to correct others. it's not worth the effort. narrow minded people will always cling to their opinions no matter how hard you try to explain to them.
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
11 Apr 13
I completely agree with you.Actually there are many people who have opinion about everything but they never care to find out the facts,but if we follow the lives of great people,they all have one common quality, which that is they were curious and wanted to learn.Thanks a lot for your response.
@wittygenie28 (92)
• Philippines
11 Apr 13
Most of the time, I have a pretty good idea what the other person is talking about, so it isn't much a challenge for me but when I really don't have any idea at all, I just say that I don't have any idea and ask the person to tell me more about it. It won't make you a lesser person if you admit that you don't know something. As they saying goes, "Little knowledge is dangerous."
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
11 Apr 13
That's a good approach.You are right ,it wont make you lesser person if you want to ask anything.If one wants to develop his mind and knowledge, being curious and asking questions should be the first things he/she should do.Thanks a lot for your response.
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
11 Apr 13
Sometimes is much better than never.Thanks a lot for your response.
@vgpyogakrishna (168)
• India
11 Apr 13
i normally respond only to those discussions on which i have some knowledge. i dont enter a discussion if i dont know anything about it. you are right we can pretend to be knowing about a particular thing but most often it will only mean we are giving wrong suggestions or wrong interpretations. so either i will respond to a discussion on which i know something about or i will research about the subject matter and then respond. i will never respond to a discussion on which i dont know anything
@grvdubey11 (1879)
• India
12 Apr 13
That's right thing to do,suggestions on the basis of interpretations are wrong mostly.Its easy to search about anything these days then why make interpretations.Thanks a lot for your response.
