"Fear Mongering"

slim4health56

Any time I see the label "fear mongering" here at MPF, I simply chalk it up to what it is - an overused, trite, common fallacy of logic and a synonym for “don't bother me with information that contradicts my position." Coincidentally, I see this phrase most often included in posts written by those who “have all the answers” (usually extracted from” secret” sources of information they aren’t willing to share with anyone else).

Why go there? It contributes nothing to a healthy discussion, it “proves” nothing, and serves only to inflame or shut down the other person.

Alluminati

Have you met Lichent? He shares lots of informations.

ThickMcRunFast

Have you met Lichent? He shares lots of informations.

You mean Minnie? :laugh:

Alluminati

Have you met Lichent? He shares lots of informations.

You mean Minnie? :laugh:

:drinker:

Unknown

This content has been removed.

soupandcookies

Have you met Lichent? He shares lots of informations.

You mean Minnie? :laugh:

:drinker:

Of course they've met. I think OP is "buddy"

I'm actually laughing out loud.

QuietBloom

It's a very useful and descriptive term. I have it written on my palm so I can remember to use it in every other thread I participate in.

Which reminds me.

Fear mongering.

DrewMontoya

"Fear mongering" is the difference between "too much sugar is really unhealthy," and "SUGAR IS DEADLY POISON!!!!1111" One is worth discussion and the other is a waste of time.

Cindyinpg

Have you met Lichent? He shares lots of informations.

You mean Minnie? :laugh:

:drinker:

Of course they've met. I think OP is "buddy"

I'm actually laughing out loud.

:laugh: I am not supposed to laugh this much at work. Srsly, and now I just spilled my diet Mountain Dew on my Nutella sandwich.

Mokey41

Have you met Lichent? He shares lots of informations.

You mean Minnie? :laugh:

:drinker:

Of course they've met. I think OP is "buddy"

I'm actually laughing out loud.

:laugh: I am not supposed to laugh this much at work. Srsly, and now I just spilled my diet Mountain Dew on my Nutella sandwich.

Not DIET Mountain Dew! The deadly aspartame will kill you. You must drink only water filtered by monks in the Himalayas!

slim4health56

"Fear mongering" is the difference between "too much sugar is really unhealthy," and "SUGAR IS DEADLY POISON!!!!1111" One is worth discussion and the other is a waste of time.

To use your example, someone who actually believes sugar is deadly poison is, I assume, misinformed or naïve, not intentionally misaligning facts to market or discredit a product and or theory. I get marketing agendas; what I don't get is the hostile, misuse of the phrase.

YesIAm17

"Fear mongering" is the difference between "too much sugar is really unhealthy," and "SUGAR IS DEADLY POISON!!!!1111" One is worth discussion and the other is a waste of time.

To use your example, someone who actually believes sugar is deadly poison is, I assume, misinformed or naïve, not intentionally misaligning facts to market or discredit a product and or theory. I get marketing agendas; what I don't get is the hostile, misuse of the phrase.

I think the point is that someone who says "OMG I just watched this documentary and I was shocked to learn SUGAR IS DEADLY POISON!!!!" is not themselves guilty of fear mongering (they're victims), rather those who respond with "fear mongering" are referring to the producers of the documentary.

And then those who come in to the thread and agree with the hyperbole of the documentary are also guilty of "fear mongering".

However eventually as the victim you do cross the line into fear mongering yourself when you begin parroting the hyperbole without doing any research and while ignoring the science referenced by others that clearly demonstrates that the hyperbole was misleading.

Cindyinpg

Have you met Lichent? He shares lots of informations.

You mean Minnie? :laugh:

:drinker:

Of course they've met. I think OP is "buddy"

I'm actually laughing out loud.

:laugh: I am not supposed to laugh this much at work. Srsly, and now I just spilled my diet Mountain Dew on my Nutella sandwich.

Not DIET Mountain Dew! The deadly aspartame will kill you. You must drink only water filtered by monks in the Himalayas!

That's okay, I found a documentary that says the deadly affects of the aspartame will be neutralized by the toxinz from the deadly sugars in the Nutella. Phew, close one, though. :frown:

ninerbuff

Any time I see the label "fear mongering" here at MPF, I simply chalk it up to what it is - an overused, trite, common fallacy of logic and a synonym for “don't bother me with information that contradicts my position." Coincidentally, I see this phrase most often included in posts written by those who “have all the answers” (usually extracted from” secret” sources of information they aren’t willing to share with anyone else).

Why go there? It contributes nothing to a healthy discussion, it “proves” nothing, and serves only to inflame or shut down the other person.

Or it could be just "fear mongering". There are lots of myths and misinformation being passed around in the fitness/nutrition world that get trumped by actual peer reviewed science and studies. Aspartame is a great example of this. There are lots of claims of it being "unhealthy" and "poison" to the body, but there aren't studies that support MODERATE (this is a key word so that people who think drinking a case or more a day is moderate) use is causing any real harm (of course PKU and reactions to it aside).
And shut down the other person? An OBJECTIVE person would look at it objectively and not subjectively. If they're shutting down, it's may be because they don't wish to actually discuss it. I used to believe the fitness BS when I started, but was open enough to look at actual research to determine if it was true or not. Glad I did.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition