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Why ask why?

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Replies

  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    edited October 2019
    Also, it happens in part because people are not here to be your encyclopedia, but to have a conversation. That you're asking it from people implies you have a similar desire.
    If you aren't interested in discussing things, what makes you think anyone should care about giving you a straight answer you when you don't care about people beyond using them as information repositories?

    I care about discussing the question. I disagree that I need to formulate and decide on a goal before I ask it.

    Again, I’m not complaining as I’ve benefited from it. I just think it is odd.
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    Well, looking at your goals does change it because it is an indirect way of asking the clarifying question by implication: "what is the group you're looking to get an average of?".

    No. Telling you my goal of becoming an above average lifter does not give you more details to answer the question.

    I’m surprised I’m getting so many people here trying to convince me I’m wrong on this. I think it’s a pretty straight forward fact that my goals have no bearing on answers to properly detailed questions.
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    Why should anyone put more effort in answering your questions than you are willing to expend in framing them sufficiently?

    I do frame them sufficiently. Someone already gave a great answer to my example question.
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    I realize you’re claiming this is a just an example question and not a real question.

    Not claiming it is, it just is.
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    Why ask a question if you don’t want a usable answer?

    I do want a usable answer. Google gives me a general answer to a specific question. I come here for a specific answer. I thought I explained this already...
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    Also-in my 8 years here, I have yet to see a single question asked on MFP that hasn’t been addressed by Google.

    I find that hard to believe. If you want to test this theory, I will posted the last question I asked and would love to see you try to answer it with google only.
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    For 99% or fitness questions, the proper answer depends very much on the details.

    Details? yes. The personal goal of the person asking the question? No
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    edited October 2019
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    IDK...I can see how the context of your goals would matter. My buddy is a competitive power lifter and fairly new to it. Relative to other power lifters he competes against right now he's about average...maybe a little below average. Relative to a body builder, he's above average. Relative to myself as just a guy who hits the weight room to be functionally strong, he blows me out of the water.

    It is helpful in a lot of cases. But in other cases it just confuses the discussion. If I asked what would be considered a decent 5k time, telling you my goal could skew the answers either up or down. This taints the answer and may cause it to be unusable depending on the motives for asking the question.

    Furthermore, if you don’t tell them your goal when asked, it makes things awkward. If you say you have no goals, you look like a slacker.

    I just find the insistence of knowing your goals before providing an answer odd. Sounds like I’m the only person to feel this way...
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,816 Member
    allother94 wrote: »
    Also-in my 8 years here, I have yet to see a single question asked on MFP that hasn’t been addressed by Google.

    I find that hard to believe. If you want to test this theory, I will posted the last question I asked and would love to see you try to answer it with google only.

    I'll play. What's the last question you asked?
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    edited October 2019
    allother94 wrote: »
    For 99% or fitness questions, the proper answer depends very much on the details.

    Details? yes. The personal goal of the person asking the question? No

    Then just stop asking the questions since this seems to bother you so much? I dunno what else to tell you.

    How many times in this thread do I need to say this doesn’t bother me; and has often helped me?

    I’m just responding to those who are trying to prove me wrong. I enjoy these logical debates. If you don’t, then don’t respond. I dunno what else to tell you.
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    edited October 2019
    MikePTY wrote: »
    allother94 wrote: »
    Also-in my 8 years here, I have yet to see a single question asked on MFP that hasn’t been addressed by Google.

    I find that hard to believe. If you want to test this theory, I will posted the last question I asked and would love to see you try to answer it with google only.

    I'll play. What's the last question you asked?

    Alright. Let the fun begin. I’ve doctored the question a little, but this is a typical question I would ask. For enjoyment sake, let’s just play the game using the below only.

    I just finished the c25k program. This means I just completed my first 5k. As you can imagine, my time was pretty bad. If I ran a 5k twice a week, how much would you guess my time would improve in 2 months?

    Challenge #1: Find something on google that would answer this specific question

    Challenge #2: Explain how your answer would differ if my goal was to become a professional 5k runner vs. just someone who enjoys running 5ks

  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    edited October 2019
    Terytha wrote: »
    If you worked your behind off so you can bench press 50 lbs, and your goal is 75 pounds because you feel like that's a lot, and then I tell you the average is 150 pounds, then maybe I've just crushed your spirit..

    Wait, you would lie to me? What if I wanted to know the truth? Are you saying that all the advice I’ve been giveN so far is just a bunch of lies used to make me feel better? How can you ever know what is real?
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    Terytha wrote: »
    If you can't be bothered to properly explain yourself, then the answers you get will almost always be questions. Especially here, where people are a bit more sensitive to how fragile mental health can be around our bodies.

    It’s not that I can’t be bothered. I just didn’t realized I needed to say that I wanted to know the truth. I guess that is why it seemed so odd to me.
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
    edited October 2019
    Terytha wrote: »
    allother94 wrote: »
    Terytha wrote: »
    If you worked your behind off so you can bench press 50 lbs, and your goal is 75 pounds because you feel like that's a lot, and then I tell you the average is 150 pounds, then maybe I've just crushed your spirit..

    Wait, you would lie to me? What if I wanted to know the truth? Are you saying that all the advice I’ve been giveN so far is just a bunch of lies used to make me feel better? How can you ever know what is real?

    No, but I might use different language or frame it differently, add in different information, or offer advice/encouragement to exceed your goals. Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind. You apparently seem to think that last one doesn't matter, or is lies, which is ridiculous.

    But you're clearly not interested in changing your mind or accepting that your thinking might be off on this one, so I'll leave it at that.

    You can politely and kindly answer a question without knowing their goals. I took from your prior post that you would not tell them the correct answer of 150 in order to spare their feelings. If you tell them something other than 150, you are lying to them, and that is a fact. Fact are never ridiculous.

    If someone asks a question, I will politely and kindly give them an answer. I have done so on many posts and will continue to do so. This method is just as right as the methods you use, and to suggest that your way is the only right way is ridiculous.